The Foolishness of Conceit and Its Cure

“Soṇa, when any ascetics and brahmins, on the basis of materiality—which is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change—regard themselves thus: ‘I am superior,’ or ‘I am equal,’ or ‘I am inferior,’ what is that due to apart from not seeing things as they really are?

“When any ascetics and brahmins, on the basis of feeling … on the basis of perception … on the basis of volitional formations … on the basis of consciousness—which is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change—regard themselves thus: ‘I am superior,’ or ‘I am equal,’ or ‘I am inferior,’ what is that due to apart from not seeing things as they really are?” 

~ Saṃyutta Nikāya, Khandhasaṃyutta, Sutta 49

Measuring oneself against others whether as superior, equal, or inferior to them, is conceit or māṇa. The three kinds of conceit are shown in this Sutta: superiority, equality, and inferiority conceit. In this Sutta also the Buddha shows us that the basis of conceit are the five aggregates which are “impermanent, suffering, and subject to change.” Whenever and however we measure ourselves against others we do so on the basis of these five aggregates or one among them. Apart from these aggregates there are no other basis for measurement or comparison with others. So for example, on the basis of feeling one measures thus 'My sofa feels more comfortable than yours,' or 'My sofa feels just as comfortable/hard as yours,' or 'My sofa does not feel as good as yours; What to do, I am not as rich as you, I cannot afford a luxurious sofa such as yours.'