Better?

Hearing bad things about other people and getting told that I am "better" than them does not make me feel better about myself. Gossip only hurts, it never heals. And being told that you are "better" than someone only makes you strive to meet the world's standards and not God's. There will always be someone "better" and trying to outbeat everyone is not a way to live... These are not compliments. "You are prettier than her", "You are much better than her", "You are better at basketball than that girl". What about just, "You are so pretty", "You are an amazing person", or "You are such an awesome basketball player"? When did put downs suddenly become "compliments"? I don't just want to be "better" than another person...I want to try my best to live up to God's standards and be a woman of God.