I enjoyed reading your article. I may have enjoyed relatively more than those around me, and that makes me feel really smart. Ok, I'm lying. I enjoyed your article immensely, but I know everyone else enjoyed it twice as much. Sad face.

Seriously though, it is interesting research and does a great deal to explain why people are so focused on what others are doing. As a former high school English teacher, I saw this scenario play out over and over in my classroom. Students were ok with having more of something, or ok with everyone having the same, but at no time would one student willingly have less so everyone else could have more. It didn't matter what the commodity was - markers, paper, time to speak with the teacher - the results were the same.

Do you think this is something that we can change? Is it something that we should change?