>Moreover, an irresistible force of attraction was exerted between these various stars, and at each table the diners had eyes only for the tables at which they were not sitting,
You're reading way too much into it. This is just a reprise of "the grass is greener on the other side". What it's saying is simply "a lot of diners were dissatisfied with their dishes and looked around to see what other people were eating".
>The relative nature of perceived quality indicates [...]
My whole point is that I don't buy quality is purely perceived relatively. If you start a sentence like this, whatever comes after is irrelevant.
You've brought up food, so let's go with that. If I'm a blank slate and I eat a certain food, am I unable to decide whether I like it or not until I eat a second, different food? Are the sensory signals my brain receives just a confounding mystery in the absence of further stimulation, to the extent that I can't even tell sweet from bitter?
You're reading way too much into it. This is just a reprise of "the grass is greener on the other side". What it's saying is simply "a lot of diners were dissatisfied with their dishes and looked around to see what other people were eating".
>The relative nature of perceived quality indicates [...]
My whole point is that I don't buy quality is purely perceived relatively. If you start a sentence like this, whatever comes after is irrelevant.
You've brought up food, so let's go with that. If I'm a blank slate and I eat a certain food, am I unable to decide whether I like it or not until I eat a second, different food? Are the sensory signals my brain receives just a confounding mystery in the absence of further stimulation, to the extent that I can't even tell sweet from bitter?