Anyone, perhaps, who has ever known what it's like to be a younger brother has, indubitably, felt at one time or another the psychological barrier which often prevents us from scaling the mountainous examples set in place by those within whose shadow we seemed destined to inhabit in perpetuo. At certain junctures (no, that's the wrong word), at extended periods of time, I have experienced the sting of trying to measure up to the achievements and physical prowess and skill, particularly in the field of sports, which my brother has demonstrated, and my cup has, at sundry times, run over with coming short of measuring up.
However, despite this often psychological and sometimes physical obstacle, I am pleased to report that such things need not always remain in place. Just today, I beat my older brother in a game of ping pong (21-17), as well as in two games of pool. He destroyed me in basketball, but I do not wish to address that, as it nothing new or extraordinary or unexpected. Ping pong on the other hand was completely unexpected, most of all by me. It is a dream come true; I have triumphed at last.
That being said, this intrafamilial comparative procedure, though common I'm sure, is actually an example of pure excrement. Unfortunately, the rarity of such victories has ensured that I would not fully understand this point until now. We excel in different thing; we are interested in different things. We are different people. No matter how much we wish to be weighed in an even balance, it will turn out better if we realize sooner rather than later that we all need a different set of scales.
So I have pursued this course, namely desiring to beat my brother in sports, only to realize that I have been a fool.
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