I said this, “when I worry how well I'm doing, sometimes I put one of mine next to something I know I like to see if I can keep up.”

To this, someone made the comment that “comparisons are odious”

And my reply:

It depends on what you’re trying to do with a comparison. For example, in this case, I have been painting under a large skylight. I worried I’ve been painting too dark so I put one of my “dark” paintings next to a few paintings illustrated in a large art book. Apparently, my worries in that regard are unfounded. That was, as far as I’m concerned, the fair use of comparison to solve a problem.
Did you think I wanted to know if I was “better than”? No, that’s not what I am up to.