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.