I think it&#x27;s perfectly rational to be upset in the case where coworkers get the paid the same as you or more, yet are in your eyes less productive, competent, or otherwise valuable. Pay signals how much your employer values you, and therefore indirectly your job security. If your hard work goes unrecognized on the balance sheet, it&#x27;ll probably go unrecognized when times get tight and they need to lay people off.<p>Wanting to feel valued in one&#x27;s &quot;community&quot; isn&#x27;t comparing yourself to others, it&#x27;s a basic human emotional need.