Somewhere in India right now, a perfectly normal human being has opened his phone just to “check today’s market mood.”
Five seconds later, he isn’t checking the market.
He’s checking a stranger’s portfolio —
+212% gains, green arrows shooting up like Diwali rockets.

And suddenly, his own portfolio starts looking like a government office ceiling fan:
moving slowly, making strange noises, and definitely not doing its job.

This is how chaos begins.

Not with a bad stock.
Not with bad research.
But with one random dude on the internet posting:
“Bro, multibagger mil gaya 😎”

And just like that, your confidence crashes harder than PSU stocks after the budget.

Welcome to the great ritual of portfolio comparison,
a habit more dangerous than options trading,
more addictive than chai,
and more useless than a broker’s “exclusive stock tip.”

So in this article, we’ll break down:

Why portfolio comparison is psychological suicide
Why it destroys your returns
Why other people’s gains are none of your business
And how to stop comparing and finally start investing right

Let’s begin the post-mortem.

Table of Contents

Why Portfolio Comparison Feels Like an Addiction

Every evening, the same ritual happens:

Someone posts a green screenshot with +200% returns.
Someone’s dopamine levels spike instantly.

Portfolio screenshots = free dopamine sample

It’s not learning.
It’s portfolio porn.

If watching other people’s profits made you rich, India would have more millionaires than Paan shops.

Portfolio comparison feels like research,
but it’s actually self-sabotage.

Survivorship Bias – Why You Only See Winning Portfolios Online

Winners post loudly.
Losers vanish like WhatsApp admins after dropping fake stock tips.

You see:

“1 crore before 25!”
“10x in 6 months!”
“This PSU changed my life!”

But you never see:

The guy who lost 80% in options and is now doing “forced over time work”
Your cousin who bought PC Jeweller at Top and still says “patience is key”
The aunty who invested in Yes Bank during lockdown and still meditates to recover emotionally

The internet is one giant highlight reel.

If P&L screenshots were real, SEBI would ask Twitter for advisory licences.

Portfolio comparison is always unfair, you compare your full story to someone else’s cherry-picked moment.

How Portfolio Comparison Triggers FOMO and Destroys Your Discipline

Investors don’t experience weather seasons.
We only have FOMO season — all 12 months.

Your friend bought IRFC at ₹20.
Now he talks like he founded Indian Railways.

You see his profits.
Suddenly, your carefully planned SIP looks like pocket money saved for tuitions.

So what happens?
You:

Chase high-flying stocks
Enter at ATH
Exit at ATL
Lose money
Blame fate
Repeat

India doesn’t run on electricity. It runs on FOMO, chai, and “ye stock chal raha hai kya?”

Portfolio comparison → FOMO → bad decisions → regret.

The Portfolio Flexing Economy – Everyone Becomes a Guru Until 9:15 AM

When markets are closed:

Everyone is a “long-term investor”
Everyone “doesn’t panic”
Everyone “buys only value”

Then at 9:20 AM?

Panic selling
Wild Googling
“Market gir raha hai kya karu???”

Most online portfolios are curated like celebrity photoshoots:

Gains shown
Losses hidden
Risk not disclosed
Conviction faked
Capital source unknown

Some P&Ls are so fake, even Ekta Kapoor would reject the script.

Yet people compare their real lives to these edited screenshots.

The Emotional Damage of Comparing Portfolios

Portfolio comparison doesn’t just hurt your returns.
It silently damages your:

Confidence
Patience
Discipline
Emotional stability
Long-term plan

You begin to think:

“Everyone is ahead of me.”
“I’m not doing enough.”
“My returns are too small.”
“I should take more risk.”

Wrong.

You’re not jealous of their returns.
You’re jealous of a idea that someone dumber than you got richer faster.

And that breaks your mental peace.

Why Copying Someone Else’s Portfolio Never Works

Indian investors copy stocks like:

“Bhaiya ek IRFC mere liye bhi pack kar do.”

But here’s the truth:

You can copy someone’s stock.
You CANNOT copy their stomach.

They might survive a 40% crash.
You might not survive a 4% dip.

Different:

income
goals
risk appetite
responsibilities
conviction
emotional stability

Same stock → different experience.

Copying a stranger’s portfolio is like copying his underwear —
it never fits, and it always stinks.

How to Stop Portfolio Comparison and Actually Improve Your Returns

Here’s how real investors grow:

Make your own plan
Know your risk appetite
Stop scrolling P&Ls
Benchmark only against yourself
Avoid hype cycles
Stick to asset allocation
Increase patience, reduce noise
Focus on long-term wealth, not short-term screenshots

Markets don’t punish lack of knowledge.
They punish insecurity.

When you stop comparing, you finally start compounding.

Why Avoiding Portfolio Comparison Improves Wealth

Portfolio comparison is the fastest way to destroy returns, ruin discipline, and trigger FOMO-driven mistakes. When you stop comparing your portfolio to others, you:

take smarter decisions
avoid panic trades
stay consistent
compound without stress
build REAL wealth

The truth is simple:

The richest investors aren’t the smartest —
they’re the ones who mind their own portfolio.

Stop looking at someone else’s graph.
Start fixing your own.

FAQ: Portfolio Comparison

1. Is it normal to feel jealous of other investors’ portfolios?

Yes, it’s common — but acting on that jealousy destroys returns.

2. Why do people post their portfolio screenshots online?

Validation, ego, marketing, or luck being shown as “skill.”

3. How does comparing portfolios affect investing decisions?

It leads to FOMO, overtrading, panic exits, risky bets, and unrealistic expectations.

4. Why do people only show profits and not losses?

Survivorship bias — everyone posts their highlight reel, not their reality.

5. Why copying someone else’s portfolio doesn’t work?

Different risk, income, goals, emotional tolerance, and time horizons.

6. How do I stop comparing my portfolio with others?

Mute noise, follow your plan, focus on your goals, and track only your own progress.

If you liked this blog, you might enjoy my previous ones as well:

👉 Why Cheap Stocks Trap You — The Psychology Behind It

👉Why Nifty Is at All Time Highs but Your Portfolio Is in the Basement

👉AI Won’t Crash Like 2000. It Might Correct Like 2008 — When Reality Finally Shows Up.

👉Strong USD Is Not a Modi Issue or a Congress Issue — It’s Global

👉 Why We Feel Smarter After a Stock Falls: The Psychology of Market Regret

Harsh Bhojwani

Website | + posts

Harsh is the creator of Dalal Street Lens, where he writes about investing, market behaviour, and financial psychology in a clear and easy way. He shares insights based on personal experiences, observations, and years of learning how real investors think and make decisions.
Harsh focuses on simplifying complex financial ideas so readers can build better judgment without hype or predictions.
You can reach him at imharshbhojwani@gmail.com