But couldn't things always be harder? What's the difference between rejecting a free meal in favor of buying your own, vs. rejecting a meal that costs you $5 when you could pay $10? Or rejecting a $10 for a $100? Some might say that any nonzero price is qualitatively different than 0, but that ignores the fact that other things will not be free.

That way lies madness.

Maybe if your search for Ithaca can be detailed by eating a meal, then you're looking for the wrong Ithaca.