It's true that there's always someone richer, younger, and better looking (and if not, wait a few years). But if that's what you pay attention to then you'll always be unhappy. Get a more diverse set of friends and you might realize what you have is already is pretty good.
I don't contest any of that (in fact I agree completely), but that's all a different topic. This is about whether software developers are overpaid, not about happiness or social circles.
All I'm saying is a developer getting $150k/year in one of the most expensive cities in the world working for a company with tens, hundreds, or thousands of millions of dollars in funding or revenue should not feel guilty or overpaid.
I think it is relevant, because "overpaid" or "underpaid" don't mean anything until you decide who you're going to compare to. It's fundamentally subjective. Compare yourself to teachers or average U.S. salary and you could make a different argument.
(The trick of only comparing to people who are paid more than you is used by execs all the time in corporate compensation committees.)
