The problem with comparing

I was thinking on my run this morning how warm it was considering it's the 1st of November today.

Warm compared with what? Warm compared with how cold it can often be in the month of November.

That got me thinking about how often I compare whatever I'm thinking of with something else.

That song sounds like another song by a different band. That person reminds me of someone else. I did that better, or worse, than I did it last time.

I compare things all the time.

I think that there's also an implied scale of good or bad in these comparisons.

If it's warm compared to typical November weather, surely that must mean that it's good, whereas if it was much colder than I ever remember it in November, I may well consider it to be bad.

It seems to be human nature to compare, and yet it's not something we're born with. We develop the ability to compare with experience.

But is it necessarily a good thing?

Young children look at everything with fascination, awe and curiosity, whereas by comparing what I look at, I've automatically built in an element of satisfaction (if it's better than what I'm comparing it with) or disappointment (if it's worse).

What would it be like if I could drop my comparisons and pretend that I've never experienced this before? This is also true because every day, every person, every song, every experience is completely unique in its own right.

What if I suspended all comparisons and looked at everything with fascination, awe and curiosity again?

I think that would be a good thing.