Here is a thread detailing some theories on social status, how it works, and what that means👇
TLDR: the goal of social behavior is to maximize social status.
Pursuing truth is often antithetical to that goal. Deceiving others (& ourselves) often helps.
TLDR: the goal of social behavior is to maximize social status.
Pursuing truth is often antithetical to that goal. Deceiving others (& ourselves) often helps.
Sure, our main main goals are survival and reproduction.
But those things depend on being high status.
Why?
Having a good reputation is the best way to get people to work with you, take care of you, & date you
What is culture? The defaults behaviors that raise your status
But those things depend on being high status.
Why?
Having a good reputation is the best way to get people to work with you, take care of you, & date you
What is culture? The defaults behaviors that raise your status
How does status work?
Imagine that we all have a number floating above our heads.
That's our status score.
We can't see it, but we all kind of know where we rank (dating apps sure do)
Our brain works over time to perceive this in ourselves and others (in diff contexts too)
Imagine that we all have a number floating above our heads.
That's our status score.
We can't see it, but we all kind of know where we rank (dating apps sure do)
Our brain works over time to perceive this in ourselves and others (in diff contexts too)
Status is scarce
So people compete for it. Often violently.
But we also have to work together, so we've evolved to jockey for status without resorting to violence.
How? Signalling
Signalling saves you from violence, but it means you're effectively BS-ing your way through life
So people compete for it. Often violently.
But we also have to work together, so we've evolved to jockey for status without resorting to violence.
How? Signalling
Signalling saves you from violence, but it means you're effectively BS-ing your way through life
A good way of getting your way is using any means necessary to convince others, even deceiving.
This means you're often looking out for others deceiving you.
The best way to deceive is to not lie.
Believe your own bullshit so deeply that you don’t produce any sign of cheating.
This means you're often looking out for others deceiving you.
The best way to deceive is to not lie.
Believe your own bullshit so deeply that you don’t produce any sign of cheating.
What does this mean?
Truth does not matter when you try to arrange a society.
Not only it does not matter; it's harmful.
You basically can’t have a functional & long-standing society if the truth is widely known.
Why would truth be helpful anyway?
Truth does not matter when you try to arrange a society.
Not only it does not matter; it's harmful.
You basically can’t have a functional & long-standing society if the truth is widely known.
Why would truth be helpful anyway?
Unless truth raises our social status, we don't care. We don't even filter for it—Not even on our radar
The true logic of emotions? Whatever helps us survive, reproduce (get status)—at least 10,000 yr ago
What does deception look like? Parroting high status opinions w/ no logic
The true logic of emotions? Whatever helps us survive, reproduce (get status)—at least 10,000 yr ago
What does deception look like? Parroting high status opinions w/ no logic
Thankfully we've evolved the perfect equipment (e.g. consciousness) over many years to deceive others by deceiving ourselves
Language is a tool to make up excuses to raise your status. That's more or less it
It's not a receptacle for or the origin of your thoughts, it's a tool.
Language is a tool to make up excuses to raise your status. That's more or less it
It's not a receptacle for or the origin of your thoughts, it's a tool.
Truth is hard.
Not only are you deceiving yourself all the time to raise your status, but other people are also deceiving you all the time to raise theirs too.
So of course being able to manipulate your peers is more important than being able to correctly understand truth.
Not only are you deceiving yourself all the time to raise your status, but other people are also deceiving you all the time to raise theirs too.
So of course being able to manipulate your peers is more important than being able to correctly understand truth.
People’s statements are just signals in a long-standing status competition.
Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson wrote an entire book on this: amazon.com/dp/B085CMNS8P/…
Conflict theory & mistake theory get at two ways to address this:
Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson wrote an entire book on this: amazon.com/dp/B085CMNS8P/…
Conflict theory & mistake theory get at two ways to address this:
To be sure, Some people do get status from pursuing truth (scientists, writers, academics)
The more truth they pursue, the more status they get, b/c they're great at it.
But most people aren't good enough to gain any status from truth-discovery, so they refrain from pursuing it
The more truth they pursue, the more status they get, b/c they're great at it.
But most people aren't good enough to gain any status from truth-discovery, so they refrain from pursuing it
Why would we be evolved for truth?
It takes time and effort, and it's not necessary
Truth is often inconvenient for status
It's more effective to believe self-serving BS
Change the rules of the game. When they go truth, you go BS
Whatever you gotta do to survive & reproduce.
It takes time and effort, and it's not necessary
Truth is often inconvenient for status
It's more effective to believe self-serving BS
Change the rules of the game. When they go truth, you go BS
Whatever you gotta do to survive & reproduce.
People will believe whatever gives them shortest path to social status.
But you may have noticed that people's actions don't match their beliefs.
For example, public schools for all, but best teachers for your kids.
"Egalitarianism when being selected, Elitism when selecting".
But you may have noticed that people's actions don't match their beliefs.
For example, public schools for all, but best teachers for your kids.
"Egalitarianism when being selected, Elitism when selecting".
People get depressed hearing this, but the deception is not all bad; sometimes you want to hide things.
The whole concept of "status" altogether is a problematic truth, which is why we rarely acknowledge it explicitly and certainly resist making it legible to the internet.
Why?
The whole concept of "status" altogether is a problematic truth, which is why we rarely acknowledge it explicitly and certainly resist making it legible to the internet.
Why?
Genetical survival is often zero-sum, and even when it isn't, competition for mates is zero-sum.
This is a hard truth to coordinate around (that humans are inherently in conflict)
So we hide the idea of status & pursue it secretly & subconsciously, deceiving all along the way.
This is a hard truth to coordinate around (that humans are inherently in conflict)
So we hide the idea of status & pursue it secretly & subconsciously, deceiving all along the way.
So back to people's beliefs
People will usually believe whatever improves their short-term status, whatever wins them approval from those they care about
(Pick your role models carefully!)
The vast majority of ideas don’t have short-term physical consequences; just social ones
People will usually believe whatever improves their short-term status, whatever wins them approval from those they care about
(Pick your role models carefully!)
The vast majority of ideas don’t have short-term physical consequences; just social ones
This is why fanatics of one political stripe sometimes convert to fanatics of the other.
Different ideas suit different people at different times
Ideas can adapt to people, but more often than not people adapt to ideas.
Different ideas suit different people at different times
Ideas can adapt to people, but more often than not people adapt to ideas.
Which is why the culture war is so existential.
Because the marketplace of ideas isn't run by the scientific method, it's run by high school cafeteria politics
Because people are just vessels, looking for a hit. They don’t really care where they get it, only that it’s good.
Because the marketplace of ideas isn't run by the scientific method, it's run by high school cafeteria politics
Because people are just vessels, looking for a hit. They don’t really care where they get it, only that it’s good.
Our understanding of the mind still assumes that people have "ideas" in their head and that "reason" determines how they behave.
Doesn't take status into account.
It's like the Christian emphasis on “faith”, i.e that some people have “faith”, which makes them more noble people.
Doesn't take status into account.
It's like the Christian emphasis on “faith”, i.e that some people have “faith”, which makes them more noble people.
Sometimes the logic gap is so strong that we know we are being deceptive.
This is what preference falsification is: People holding in their views b/c they're not socially safe.
Ppl are just trying to get by. Survive & reproduce.
**
Interested in hearing feedback on these ideas
This is what preference falsification is: People holding in their views b/c they're not socially safe.
Ppl are just trying to get by. Survive & reproduce.
**
Interested in hearing feedback on these ideas
In conclusion:
- Status drives behaviors (& beliefs)
- People only pursue (or even perceive) truth when it aligns with an increase in their status
- As such, we've evolved to deceive others & deceive ourselves so we can do that most effectively
So: Be
- Status drives behaviors (& beliefs)
- People only pursue (or even perceive) truth when it aligns with an increase in their status
- As such, we've evolved to deceive others & deceive ourselves so we can do that most effectively
So: Be
