Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action.
Albert BanduraStringent standards of self-evaluation [can] make otherwise objective successes seem to be personal failures
Albert BanduraPeople who are insecure about themselves will avoid social comparisons that are potentially threatening to their self-esteem
Albert Bandura