H. L. Mencken

Mencken's wit cuts deeper than a mere jab at materialism—he's identifying a peculiar advantage that accrues to anyone savvy enough to see through the illusion. Most people operate under the delusion that money matters more than it actually does, which means anyone who grasps its *real* limitations gains outsized leverage in negotiating, deciding, and living freely. When your neighbor obsesses over a promotion's salary bump while you recognize the actual happiness it will buy, you've already won something money can't measure. The trick isn't rejecting money's utility; it's refusing to overestimate it the way your competition does.