The Constant Comparison Syndrome

Her finger on the mouse scroll button got quite a workout that day. The voyeur sitting inside her smug, examining closely the lives of the exhibitionists on the website. A small, bitter smile curved her lips as she peered into the marriage photos of her childhood enemy. For the sake of the website and for all intents and purposes they were now friends. But there is something the internet generation does not understand. Enemies are and will forever remain that way. There is so much emotion and effort put into hating another person that very little room is left behind for anything else.

She shrugged, a seemingly careless dismissal of another's happiness. But curiosity had already mastered over her defenses. A click here, a drag there and she had crossed over into the 'wall' of her enemy. And suddenly she was surrounded by the person she never wanted to meet. Words, pictures, happiness and contentment splashed over the page for all the world to see.

Her smile became more bitter, the effort to hold it in place doubling. Human emotion is fleeting, fragile and it took everything in her to maintain that careless veneer while snooping through another person's life. It was almost poetic how cruel life was. Not only had this mean person been blessed with immeasurable personal and professional success, they had been given a tool to wave said success in the face of others. Namely her.

Jealousy tore through her, its acid a taste in her very mouth.

What had been confidence was in a matter of moments converted into doubt. Was she doing enough with her own life?

Such a monumental question. Such an existential question.

Such an inconvenient question.

Her mouse button moved towards an option on the inanimate page.

'Delete Friend'.

Click.