Dan Ariely has pointed to the power of relativity when it comes choosing and experiencing those choices.  Satisfaction with a meal, a job, a car, is often relative not only to what others around us are experiencing, but is also dependent on how the event is presented at the time when we choose.   A small plate under a sandwich not only makes the sandwich seem bigger, but you will also “feel” more satisfied after eating it.

I remember recently hearing the story of an web entrepreneur who chose to drive around in a prius because it was the best hybrid in its class.  He could have chosen the Porsche Boxster  (The “poor man’s Porsche”) for a similar cost, but he claimed he’d feel like he was always on the bottom rung of the Porsche ladder.  Fair enough.