comparison is the thief of joy

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Comparing one's own situation with that of others will lead to unhappiness or bitterness.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

So sánh tình huống của mình với người khác sẽ dẫn đến buồn hoặc đắng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “comparison is the thief of joy” mean?

Comparing one's own situation with that of others will lead to unhappiness or bitterness.

Is “comparison is the thief of joy” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.