There was a time when society was understood as a source of peace, happiness, unity, cooperation and belongingness. Human beings lived not merely beside one another but with one another. The village was not simply a geographical space; it was an emotional and social institution where people shared joys and sorrows, celebrated together, helped one another during difficult times and maintained relationships that extended beyond immediate family. In Kashmir, village life was particularly associated with simplicity, hospitality, mutual respect and social intimacy. Neighbours knew each other, families interacted regularly, and the happiness of one household was often considered a matter of collective happiness. However, with the passage of time, the very meaning and experience of society appears to have undergone a significant transformation. The spirit of cooperation is increasingly being replaced by comparison, judgement and competition.

Competition itself is not necessarily harmful. In fact, healthy competition can motivate individuals to work harder, improve their abilities and achieve excellence. The problem begins when competition ceases to remain a means of self-improvement and becomes a way of measuring human worth. When every individual starts seeing another person not as a neighbour, friend, relative or fellow human being but as a competitor, society gradually loses its character of community. The question, therefore, is not whether competition should exist, but whether competition should be allowed to determine the quality of our relationships and the value we attach to human beings.
The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, while discussing the state of nature, described a condition in which there was no established political authority or common power to regulate human relations. In his famous description, this condition could become a "war of all against all", where fear, insecurity, competition and the struggle for survival dominated human interaction. Hobbes used this argument to explain the necessity of political authority and the social contract. Modern society is obviously not literally a Hobbesian state of nature. We have laws, institutions,
families and social structures. Yet, at the psychological and social level, one can observe certain tendencies that resemble the competitive insecurity Hobbes associated with the state of nature. People increasingly compare themselves with others, compete over status and measure their achievements against the achievements of those around them.
The change can be seen particularly in the way social status is constructed. Society, which was once a space where a person could simply be accepted as a person, has increasingly become a place of judgement. Economic worth often determines social worth. A person's income, occupation, house, vehicle, educational qualifications and lifestyle have become indicators through which others attempt to measure his or her position in society. The simplicity of asking, "How are you?" is sometimes replaced by questions that indirectly ask, "What have you achieved?" The value of a person is increasingly connected with what he possesses rather than who he is.
The culture of comparison is especially visible in the construction and decoration of houses. Building a comfortable home is a natural aspiration, but the aspiration becomes problematic when the primary purpose is comparison with neighbours. A house is no longer merely a home; it can become a symbol of social status. The question changes from "Is my family comfortable?" to "Is my house better than theirs?" The size of the building, interior decoration, furniture, exterior design and expenditure may become instruments of social competition. What should provide shelter, security and warmth sometimes becomes another arena in which people attempt to establish superiority.
The same phenomenon can be witnessed in marriages. Marriage, which should fundamentally be about companionship, responsibility, affection and the establishment of a family, is increasingly surrounded by social expectations and unnecessary expenditure. Considerable amounts of money may be spent on clothing, decorations, food, venues and ceremonies simply because people fear what others might say. Whether the marriage remains stable and peaceful for decades may receive less attention than how impressive the wedding appears for a few hours. In such circumstances, marriage becomes partly a performance for society rather than solely a meaningful relationship between two individuals and their families.
The Qur'an also warns against excessive attachment to wealth and its display. The verse, َيُقوُل اْهَلْكُت ماًلا لَبًدا, refers to the boastful declaration of having spent abundant wealth. The broader ethical lesson is that wealth should not become an instrument of arrogance, vanity or competition. Spending money for genuine needs and happiness is different from spending merely to generate admiration or shock in others. When expenditure becomes a means of proving one's superiority, society enters a cycle in which every person feels compelled to compete with the next person. One wedding encourages another to spend more; one house becomes the benchmark for another; one person's lifestyle becomes the pressure upon another family.
This culture of comparison has also entered the field of education. Competition in studies can certainly be constructive. It can encourage students to study sincerely, develop discipline and pursue excellence. But when competition is internalized as hostility, another student begins to appear as an enemy rather than a classmate. The culture of sharing notes, discussing difficult questions, eating together and helping a struggling friend can gradually disappear. A student may hesitate to help another because of the fear that the other person might perform better in the examination. Education, which should cultivate cooperation and intellectual curiosity, can consequently become an individual race in which everyone is running but few people are enjoying the journey. Aristotle described human beings as social animals. Human beings are not designed merely to exist in isolation; they develop their identities, values and emotional lives through relationships and communities. Family, friendship, neighbourhood, school and society provide the environment through which people learn cooperation, empathy and responsibility. We therefore cannot expect human beings to remain emotionally healthy if every relationship is transformed into a competition. A society that teaches its members to constantly compare themselves with others risks producing individuals who may achieve external success while experiencing internal loneliness. (To Be Continued)

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