Comparisons are odious.

The proverb warns that judging people against one another can be hurtful. Praise for one person may leave another feeling diminished.

Its objection is not to every act of comparison, but to comparisons that turn differences into a judgment of personal worth and invite resentment.

Use it to discourage ranking people against one another, especially when someone is asked who is better or when a compliment to one person comes at another’s expense.