People tend to believe that others have better circumstances or opportunities than they do themselves.
This phrase evolved from the older saying 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence,' which appeared in American publications by the 1920s. The metaphor draws from the literal observation that neighboring lawns often appear more lush from a distance, though this may be due to perspective, lighting, or simply not seeing the brown patches up close.
This phenomenon has a name in psychology: 'compare and despair' or the focusing illusion, where we overestimate how much single factors contribute to others' happiness. Social media has intensified this effect exponentially, as people curate their best moments online, making everyone else's life appear perpetually greener.
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