Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordechai the Jew sitting at the King's gate.' (Megilat Esther 5:13)

How could it be that Haman would notice the lack of his honor amidst the overwhelming flood of glory that he was in? How could someone who has so much devalue it for the sake of one iota of honor lost? R. Chaim Shmuelevitz explains that there is a difference between the desire for honor as opposed to physical desires. Someone who craves any of the physical pleasures desires something that is real and exists. Therefore, when he has enjoyed it, his hunger and desire are satiated. Even if he obtains only a fraction of that which he craves, his desires will be proportionately lessened. No so the person who hungers for honor. Honor itself is non-existent; it is only a figment of the imagination. Its essence lies in the fact that by being accorded it, one’s fantasies and desires have been fulfilled. Therefore, if anything is lacking in the fulfillment of one’s dreams, then his hunger for honor is not satisfied at all. With this explanation we can understand the statement of Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (4:28) – "הקנאה והתאוה והכבוד מוציאין את העולם מן העולם" – honor can take one out of this world. Honor can take one out of this world because it becomes about chasing something that doesn’t really exist.