Navigating through relationship takes strength, wisdom, patience and love, among other things. As humans, we naturally look to those around us for advice, perspective and knowledge.

While viewing other relationships outside of our own can offer some insight into our own, it is often damaging to compare your partnership to those of other couples.

The-grass-is-always-greener viewpoint is often irrelevant, since you don’t have all the facts required to properly assess the relationship.

Here are a few reasons why comparing your relationship to others can be ineffective at best and destructive at worst.

1. Behind closed doors

The problem with comparing yourself to other people is that you never have all of the information. You’re making assumptions based only on part of the facts, but the reality is that unless you’re in the relationship, you’ll never fully grasp its delicate dynamic. This truth, coupled with the fact that people tend to present their best face to the public, exemplifies why your comparisons cannot be based in complete accuracy. You then judge the quality of your relationship by something which essentially doesn’t exist.