Puny Luxury

Felix Dennis wrote that "The transition from poverty to comfort is a massive leap in human happiness. The transition from comfort to wealth is an exercise in diminishing returns." This reads quaintly in our era, where even the supposed "poor" live beyond previous notions of comfort and even wealth. But it's not quaint for me. I spent most of my adult life well short of comfort. In fact, I was the poorest person I knew—never earning more than a pittance while doing respected work in seven fields—before selling Chowhound. Most people assumed I'd made a titanic windfall, but, no, it left me merely comfortable. And the discrepancy between reality and perception was less jarring for me because the jump from poverty to comfort really did feel titanic. To this day, I cackle with glee whenever I throw my car into a commercial parking garage. "Who's Mr. Zillionaire???" Here's something I've never seen observed: money is only perceived while spending. It's like how you don't feel your clothes…