Why Comparing ERMI Scores to Other People’s Results Made Things Harder
I wanted reassurance. What I found was more confusion.
After my ERMI results came back, I started searching.
I looked for charts, forums, comments, and screenshots of other people’s scores, hoping to figure out where I “fell.”
I thought comparison would help me understand my situation more clearly.
Instead of grounding me, it quietly unraveled my sense of context.
This didn’t mean comparison was wrong — it meant ERMI numbers don’t translate cleanly between lives.
Why I Thought Other People’s ERMI Scores Would Help
I wanted a reference point.
Without one, my own result felt abstract and open-ended, something I was already struggling with early on.
I was looking for certainty in someone else’s outcome.
This didn’t mean I lacked perspective — it meant I was trying to steady myself.
What I Didn’t Know About Context When I Started Comparing
Every ERMI test reflects a specific environment at a specific moment.
I hadn’t yet internalized what ERMI actually measures, something that became clearer after learning what an ERMI test really is.
Two numbers can look similar while meaning very different things.
This helped me see why comparison stripped results of their meaning instead of clarifying them.
How Comparison Triggered Old Fear Patterns
Every time I saw a lower score than mine, my body tightened.
Every time I saw a higher one, I spiraled in a different direction.
Comparison didn’t calm my nervous system — it kept it scanning.
This echoed the same response I had when I misread my own score early on, something I reflected on in why I misread my ERMI score at first.
Why ERMI Scores Aren’t Designed to Be Ranked
ERMI scores aren’t a leaderboard.
They aren’t meant to determine who is “safe” and who is “unsafe” across different homes, climates, histories, and bodies.
The number only made sense inside its own story.
This understanding softened my urge to keep measuring myself against others.
How I Learned to Bring the Focus Back to My Own Environment
Once I stopped comparing, the information felt more usable.
I could hold my results alongside timing, symptoms, and change — instead of someone else’s snapshot.
Clarity returned when I stayed inside my own context.
This mirrored what I had already learned about pacing and usefulness in when ERMI is helpful — and when it isn’t.
Questions I Had About Comparing ERMI Results
Is it helpful to look at other people’s ERMI scores?
In my experience, it often created more confusion than clarity.
Does a higher or lower score mean more or less risk?
For me, that question only made sense when grounded in the full context of the space.