People are not rational, example #452: How people feel about their bonus has no correlation to the size of the bonus.
I’ve had people complain about a payout that was 110% of the budgeted amount, and I’ve had people grateful for a 50% bonus. In every case, the dissatisfied person is convinced they deserved more. Sometimes they’re right. You can make a mistake with a bonus or, worse, you can have some systemic issues to address.
More often, though, comparison is the real issue. Someone else had a bigger bonus or a bigger bonus percentage– someone who didn’t carry as much weight.
There’s a word for people who constantly compare themselves to others: MISERABLE.
There’s always someone who has more– a faster car, a bigger house, a more target-rich territory, a more photogenic family. Social media culture amplifies this, pushing us to compare ourselves to the happiest, smartest, wealthiest people in our feeds.
Don’t take the bait. “Comparison is the thief of joy.”*
Not only will comparison will steal your joy, it will steal your wallet and your soul. You’ll jump on the hedonic treadmill convinced you’ll be happy when… You’ll spend your time and money chasing the Joneses. Spoiler alert: those Joneses are fast. And they keep shape-shifting. You can never catch them.
Even if you could, it’s not worth it.
I’m all for competition, but you can compete without constant comparison. You can compete with joy, recognize the greatness in others, and appreciate all that you have. It’s possible to be fiercely driven and grateful at the same time.
Turns out there’s also word for people who consistently demonstrate gratitude: HAPPY.
* Often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt or Mark Twain, but of unknown origins.
