It’s pretty astonishing how far people will go to announce various forms of status:
College logo sweatshirts
Flat abs
A good haircut
Glowing skin
A well-trimmed front lawn
The zip code where we choose to live
Having a nice car
Not having a car at all
The type of email service we use
Our accent or lack of one
The sticker on a hat
The gaunt look of a serious runner
The puffy look of someone who never runs
The foods we eat
The foods we choose not to eat
Where we sit at a meeting
Reading the book before the movie
The breed of dog we adopt
Being too busy to respond quickly
Responding to emails instantly
The stroller for our baby
Having a baby
Not having a baby
Deciding what’s on the list
The NPR tote bag
Talking about the latest tech
Using the latest tech
Seeing a movie on opening night
Holding the door open for someone
Having the door held open for you
Being recognized as a regular at a restaurant
Having a bodyguard
Being on a list
Social media statistics
Knowing about wine, or chocolate, or Roman history
The list has little to do with money spent or money in the bank.
Humans care about status and affiliation. We’ve spent our lives being very good at noticing both.
