What is the Best really?

Best, is the superlative form of the adjective good. So the result of this learning is that good is not good enough, because there is something better than it. That brings us to better.

Better, is the comparative form of the same adjective good. But then good is not good enough.

So instead of ‘just being’ good you get better. You can get better, or can be considered better. In the former case it’s compared to yourself, but in the latter case, you are better compared to someone else. Is there something better than better? Well, there’s best.

But in the case of becoming the best, you cannot do without being compared. You are not the best in isolation. You are best amongst a set of people.

In mathematical terms, better > good. But best just isn’t > better. It means no one > best.

So it’s an approach that’s totally dependent on others. To be best you have to look at others. You can’t be best just by yourself, can you? The best in a small locality, might not even be considered good when considering the whole city.

And, when you say something is the best, does it mean it cannot get better? If it can get better, it is not the best possible yet, so why the smugness?

Isn’t it better (pardon the irony) to be good, really really good, instead of looking around you and saying “Hey I am better than all these guys!”?

Author: Amit

Photographer & blogger at Recaptured.

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