For many people, hiking is a passion – and sometimes a source of frustration. On the way up, an older hiker carrying a heavy backpack may suddenly breeze past with a cheerful greeting. How does he do it? A little later, the hiker may overtake a couple who is clearly much younger and think: Well, I’m still in pretty good shape. Only to wonder a moment later: Am I actually fast or slow? At the summit, the hiker quickly enters the route into a mapping app – and finds that the time is slightly better than average.

The psychology of comparison

This episode from the mountains says a great deal about the psychology of comparison. Depending on the situation, we compare ourselves with others for three different reasons. Looking up, we seek a role model. Looking down, we seek reassurance. And checking the app, we seek orientation. Only when we become aware of these motives can we consciously embrace them – or set them aside. That is when comparison begins to move us forward. The same applies to hiking in the mountains as it does to Switzerland as a country.

In Switzerland, the desire for reassurance currently dominates many debates. This is particularly true when our self-image comes under pressure: deliberately looking for people who are worse off reliably lifts our spirits. In German-speaking Switzerland, this role is often played by our large northern neighbor Germany.

How often have we complained about the unreliability of Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway? And the data do, in fact, support that impression: In 2025, Swiss Federal Railways trains were on time in just under 93% of long-distance journeys, compared with roughly 60% for Deutsche Bahn. Switzerland, however, uses a stricter definition of punctuality: Delays count as early as three minutes, whereas in Germany they only count after six minutes.

Taking Pleasure in Others’ Misfortune Gets Us Nowhere

Such downward comparisons may provide a moment of satisfaction at others’ misfortune, but they do not get us anywhere. On the contrary, they encourage us to ignore our own shortcomings, such as botched rolling-stock procurements. Traveling on SBB’s new double-decker long-distance trains may be more punctual, for example, but it is less comfortable than traveling on Deutsche Bahn’s ICE trains.

Rather than reveling in comparisons with those who are worse off, we should use comparison as a source of orientation. To do that, it helps to look at the bigger picture. Consider the United Nations’ E-Government Development Index. Switzerland ranks 26th out of 193 countries – ahead of France, which ranks 34th, but behind Germany, derided by some as a rail wasteland, which ranks 12th.

Once we have established our position, we are only one step away from learning something from the comparison. Self-awareness is the best route to improvement because it allows us to identify role models. This process is not easy. It challenges our self-image – and, at the national level, misguided patriotism can sometimes prevent us from learning from others.

Switzerland can certainly learn from other countries, including Denmark. The Scandinavian country is not only a model when it comes to the sustainability of its pension system: Its retirement age has long been linked to life expectancy. Denmark is also a pioneer in the digitalization of health care. It ranks first on the aforementioned U.N. index of e-government.

As the federal government in Bern makes another attempt to introduce an electronic patient record, the Danes have been using their digital health portal for more than 20 years. The sequence was crucial: Denmark first established standards for exchanging data among hospitals, doctors’ offices, and pharmacies. The portal was built on top of those standards later.

Asking the right questions

Learning from Denmark, then, means interoperability first, applications second. That also points us toward the right question. It is not: What is the Danish model? Denmark chose a centralized approach, consistent with the way its government is structured. The right question is: What was the key to its success? The answer was the order of implementation – first agreeing on standards, then developing applications.

Whether a particular success factor can be replicated must always be determined on a case-by-case basis. It has to fit the model in question – and make it better.

The same applies to countries as it does to individuals. On a mountain, there is little to be gained from taking pleasure in overtaking the slower couple ahead of you. Nor is there much point in doggedly trying to keep up with the older hiker carrying the heavy backpack, only to discover later that he is a former professional triathlete.

The more interesting question is why he reaches the summit faster despite the extra weight. Perhaps there is something to learn from him – not in order to copy his route, but to find the best way to reach the summit on your own terms.

This article was first published in the “NZZ am Sonntag” newspaper on September 6, 2026.