I work for Sony. Now Sony are a quite cunning company as they have devised a way to pay thier employees less money. They call this nefarious scheme a "Staff Discount". This scheme allows you to buy Sony products with a greater or lesser discount from the retail price.
I myself have been sucked into this evil scheme before - I have purchased CDs, a TV, VCR, A Stereo and another stereo for the bedroom. Do you see the pattern here? Sale syndrome even applies to a staff discount - If you think you're getting something cheaper, you spend more money. Why?
I don't buy much with my staff discount. There are some of my colleagues who are continually buying things; for their relatives, friends, old school friends and cousins of friends of people they met down the pub. Do they think that the more people they give their discount to, the better their life will become? Probably. The same thing happens here - I am a better person than x if my XP is higher than theirs. Why do we think we can give a score to our happiness?