No matter what level you are or status you hold, there’s always someone ahead or behind. There are scales of good and bad, with different levels in each scale.
Some are fairly bad, some very bad, and some really really bad. Same goes for the “scale of good”, no matter how good you are, there’s probably someone better, or much better.
Take the Olympics for example, whoever holds the world record for a certain event is the champion and record holder for as long as that record stays unbeaten.
Generations of athletes may come up and win in grand styles, if they do not surpass the record, they will always be a step lower to the record holder even if the same has long retired. Champions, in this light are therefore relative titles. There’s always someone better out there, may take a while to find, but there are.
Let’s look at another sport – Soccer. In the semifinals of a soccer tournament, there are 4 teams. 2 will turn out to lose and the other two will win. The winners will compete in the final match, the losers will slug it out for a 3rd place. Let’s say the final match ends 1-0 at full time, and the 3rd place match ends at 5 – 1. The high tally of goals in the 3rd place does not qualify the winner at that level for gold, best they will get is the bronze medal even if they were to score 20 more goals.
I remember an old song from primary school;
Good better best
I shall never rest
Until my good is better
And my better best
The above song explains relativity on a scale of good. Better than good is better, better than better is best.
But did you know better and best are simply terms of relativity, (word, comparative, superlative)? It means when describing something bad, we could in context employ these relative terms as well. The comparative and superlative terms for “bad” are “worse” and “worst” respectively, where “worse” is better than “worst” and “bad” is better than “worse”.
When you feel better than someone else, or you’re described as “better”, you will do well to check the state of what or who you’re being compared with. If you’re a bad candidate for a job, and the other option is worse, you’ll probably get the job…that doesn’t make you good, just a better option. You’ll have the job until a good person comes along.
What’s your character like? Are you actually good or just better than most people?
I’ll rather be good than be “better than bad”!
2 Corinthians 10:12 NLT
oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!
Author: Oluwatosin Fatade;
A freelance writer and medical practitioner in Nigeria. An enthusiast for poems, short stories (fiction and nonfictional), public speeches and health related topics.
I believe Jesus Christ is saviour, I’m an optimist who sees the good in all and gives the benefit of doubt generously. My stories and work reflect my ideas and strong belief in love, goodness, hope, peace and justice.
