system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
My supervisor is tougher with me because she believes I can take it. Is it fair ?

(F29 - PhD student in communication )
My supervisor - as well as my chair committee - told me they are harder on my while I defended my comprehensive exam. It was the hardest moment of my academic life so far and even though they told me it was clear for them it was a success, it made me rethink about everything and why I was putting myself through this. I feel it is ok that they try to bring me further in general but during a defense … seem unfair to me, my colleagues are having it waaaay easier I feel (a PhD is already hard enough in itself). 

What are your thoughts ? Are you tougher on some students because you *believe in them* ?
gpt
A PhD isn't about competing with other people. It's about pushing yourself to grow. 

So yes, each student tends to be pushed to standards that depend on their ability: that's the whole point of individual supervision and committees. 

If you want to do anything competitive after graduation, you should be happy your committee is pushing you rather than letting you do the minimum, since you'll be competing on the market with people who got pushed to develop more. 

Your colleagues who are "having it easy" are honestly getting short-changed in their education, and may well be in for a rude awakening when they go on the market and try to find jobs. The minimum bar for a PhD is pretty low, and lots of people just barely pass it and then struggle.