Dare to compare

We all like to compare. It’s part of the game of life. In fact, comparison is the fodder of every day conversation.

On the surface, there is really nothing morally wrong with comparing. In life, comparing is the way we determine which products to get or whose services to tap. For example, when we’re buying a cell phone, we compare the features, the design, and the price of one brand with that of another. And then, based on what we value on a phone, we choose what to buy. If affordability is the most important feature, we buy the cheaper phone – even if it doesn’t have a camera and the only ringtone it plays is The Spaghetti Song. But if you have the money, and a camera is a must-have feature for you, then you don’t even consider the price – you just compare camera-phones and then choose which model has the highest megapixel camera – and then you get that.

In sports, comparing is the essence of the competition. We determine who the best athlete is by comparing the performance of one athlete against another. For instance, recently, Lance Armstrong won his seventh consecutive Tour de France title. He was declared champion because his cumulative time for the 21-stage race was compared with the time of all the other cyclists and, in the end, he had the fastest time.

Another example is Tiger Woods. Woods recently won the British Open – his 10th major golf championship. His cumulative number of shots over the four-day tournament was compared against the cumulative number of shots of all the other golfers in the field and, in the end, Tiger had the least number of shots. Thus, he was declared the winner. And now, he is being compared to the greatest golfer of all, Jack Nicklaus.

In business, it’s the same thing. Every day, comparisons are made. How well are we doing compared to the same time last year? How is this manager performing vis-a-vis this other manager? What was our operating income this month compared with last month?

Is all of this comparing good? Absolutely. It gives us a sense of where we are going. Comparing the bids submitted by bidders ensures that we get the best deal for our money. Comparing the CVs of applicants helps us to choose the best guy (or girl) for the job.

But just like anything else, once it’s abused, comparing can be a pretty dangerous thing.

Comparisons can lead to prejudices. An example of this is when we compare people based purely on their color and form a judgment based on that alone. If we are more inclined to white people, we treat them better. We also compare people based on looks. Let’s face it, between two applicants who have identical CVs, and one is good-looking and the other one is aesthetically-challenged, 99 percent of the time, we will choose the person who is pleasant to look at.

Comparisons can also sometimes be abused when things are not put in their proper perspective. It’s hard to compare if Star Wars I is more successful than Star Wars VI. They were released in different eras – the number of people who were alive in 1977 is far less than the number of people now. Ticket prices are also different. Back then, a movie ticket was P5. Now it’s freakin’ P150! And people have more forms of entertainment now than before.

An example of another questionable comparison is the comparison between presidents. All these research companies conducting these surveys are comparing President GMA with past presidents. Recently, there was a survey that said that people prefer Marcos over GMA.

I’m not sure if that’s a fair comparison at all. For one thing, the present is almost always viewed as worse than the past. That’s why we call the past "the good old days." We forget the bad things that happened during that time and tend to romanticize the past. During Marcos’ time, we couldn’t even say the word Marcos at the dinner table. My mom would hush us everytime we even said his name. It’s like our house was bugged or something. And how many political enemies were jailed at that time? How many were killed? Countless. At that time, people were jailed by merely saying something against the government. If that was the situation today, there will be thousands in jail now. And thousands more will be mysteriously missing. The mere fact that these research groups can actually have their findings printed in the papers – and all these opposition leaders can hit the president – and live another day to talk about it, tells you that things are a lot better now than before. I’m not happy with what’s going on. Things are really topsy-turvy and helter skelter. But hey, let’s think when we compare. And let’s compare well. Comparing helps us to be more effective, and helps us to move forward.

But once our comparisons are tainted with too much subjectivity or with a skewed perspective, be careful. Compare but be very aware. Think, and think hard.

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Thanks for your letters! You may e-mail me at rodnepo@yahoo.com.