It is a great human weakness to wish to be the same as our friends. If they are rich, we wish to be rich. If they are poor, then we don't mind being equally poor. We are not ashamed of being stupid, we are only ashamed of being more stupid than our friends. It is a matter of comparison. It is also a matter of expectation. We don't miss things that we never expected to have. We are not disappointed at being poor if we never expected to be rich. quote from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.