Do not follow the people who make you feel not good enough.

[doletotodole]

Taken from 2020 English exam paper for University Admission in China. This exam is taken by more than 6 million students, and is notorious for its difficulty, not 2020 though due to the Covid-19.

Below is a gap to fill before a paragraph.

_____________. Do not follow the people who make you feel not-good-enough. Why do you follow them? Are you hoping that eventually you will feel empowered because your life is better than theirs? Know that your life is your own, you are the only you in this world.

I feel confused about the meaning of the phrase "not-good-enough", who does this phrase refer to? The people you follow, or you?

[Tarheel]

Taken from 2020 English exam paper for University Admission in China. This exam is taken by more than 6 million students, and is notorious for its difficulty, not 2020 though due to the Covid-19.

Below is a gap to fill before a paragraph.

Do not follow the people who make you feel that you are not-good-enough. Why do you follow them? Are you hoping that eventually you will feel empowered because your life is better than theirs? Know that your life is your own, you are the only you in this world.

I feel confused about the meaning of the phrase "not-good-enough", who does this phrase refer to? The people you follow, or you?

What does "you are not good enough" mean to you?

Most of that makes no sense to me.

[Charlie Bernstein]

This passage is taken from a 2020 English exam paper for university admission in China. This exam is taken by more than six million students [no comma] and is notorious for its difficulty. It won't be taken by that many students in 2020, though, due to the Covid-19. . . .

It's hard to believe that's a test question. The text makes very little sense.

And the "gap," as you call it, makes no sense. You could put anything in it.

[emsr2d2]

The gap certainly makes no sense. You could fill it with anything from "Hello, everyone" to "I have some amazing advice, given to me forty years ago by my ninety-eight-year-old grandfather".
Were there no options given - four choices of things that might fit, for example?

If you're an English teacher, I'm not sure why you can't understand the construction used. Would you understand the following sentences?

Don't talk to people who make you feel bad.
Don't spend time with people who make you feel inferior.

[doletotodole]

The reason I feel confused is because the official key to this gap is "Stop comparing yourself with others."

[tedmc]

The reason I feel confused is because the official key to this gap is "Stop comparing yourself with others."

What do you mean by the official key? Do you mean the official answer to the question?
The question is basically asking to "fill in the gap" with no clues whatsoever. It is like expecting candidates to read the examiner's mind, which is not fair. Now I understand how difficult it is to learn English in China.

[emsr2d2]

The reason I feel confused is because the official key to this gap is "Stop comparing yourself with others."

OK, setting aside the fact that it's completely ridiculous to expect students to come up with that opening sentence without any clues, let's go back to your original question. Please have another look at post #4 and tell me if you understand my two example sentences.

[Tarheel]

The reason I feel confused is because the official key to this gap is "Stop comparing yourself to others."

You might have noticed that I totally ignored the gap. (Well, "ignored" isn't the right word. I removed it.)

You can't tell somebody to stop doing something unless you know they've been doing it. So I would say:

Don't compare yourself to others.

But of course I had no way of knowing that was supposed to be in the gap.

:

[doletotodole]

Yes, I do understand the two examples.
That is why I am confused.

Based on the context, the logic would be after a period of time when my life becomes better than theirs, i would feel empowered, in this case, the original text I feel should be written as "Are you hoping that eventually you will feel empowered WHEN YOUR LIFE BECOMES BETTER THAN THEIRS? INSTEAD OF because your life is better than theirs?"

And, if the subject of not good enough is they, then the whole paragraph would make more sense.

The problem with the original logic is, how can someone feel empowered by virtue of a better life and at the same time he/she is made to feel not good enough.

[Tarheel]

Now you are confusing me.

You are, in my opinion, overthinking this one.

I suggest that you don't waste any more time on it.