One other way people go through self-inflicted pain is by comparing themselves with others. Whenever they do so, their own shortcomings are amplified above and over their areas of strength and successes. Self imposed discontent arises from unhealthy comparison, and it forces you to look down on yourself and belittle your worth. If you see yourself as having no worth, one wonders who else would place premium on you?!
Anyone who belittles his worth doesn't love himself as much as he may claim to. Worse off, is that those who belittle their worth have a mindset of self-defeat that disqualifies them from aspiring to greater heights. There's this inner negative voice that tugs at them and forces them against making a definitive move of faith. Since they already think in their minds that they can't have it, they lose out even when they eventually attempt it (Prov. 23: 7a).
There's yet another group who are not governed by any known principles. They've an insatiable permissiveness to everything, adopt illegitimate measures to everything, and act without the facts. They're like the prison keeper who would've killed himself for fear that the prisoners had escaped. Do you allow facts influence your decisions? If you do, happy are you. But the happier you would be when you grow from the limitation of facts to truths that set free!
