Distinction won’t exist independently, because when a work is acknowledged as a distinction, it means the external evaluation accepts its difference. When there is an external evaluation, a comparison is made.
A universally acknowledged distinction is standing at the intersection of more sets. It’s not the greatest common divisor, which serves as a compromise. It’s a “one more step”.
However, there are some exceptions. Not all the distinctions will be universally acknowledged.
Term-Distinction