Money Illusion: what this star will be
A pay rise that buys less still feels like a rise.
By Constellate · 9 September 2026 · the short form
Money Illusion is a star on the Constellate sky: placed by meaning, named, and connected to the stars around it. This is the short form of its post: the line it carries, the area we colour Biases, and what stands beside it today.
The line it carries on the sky: A pay rise that buys less still feels like a rise.
What stands beside it
The stars nearest to it are Anchoring, Financial Repression, The Framing Effect and Hedonic Adaptation, and Loss Aversion is already open to walk. When Money Illusion opens, the conversation will land it among them, with a line drawn to each idea it touches.
Ask for this star
Every star is lit by demand. Ask for Money Illusion and it moves up the list; when it opens, this post becomes the full essay. The open stars beside it can be walked today, and the first concept of every course is free.