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The Logic Behind Status Signaling

robkhenderson.com · 1,474 words · saved by 1 readers

In his 2005 bestselling book, The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pick-Up Artists, Neil Strauss describes how a fellow student of “game” distinguishes himself among male competitors for the attention of a woman on a dating show. Most of the competitors bragged about how successful they were but Strauss’s friend claimed he was a “disposable lighter repairman.” This is an example of countersignaling. Signals leak information—abilities, habits, behaviors, etc.—intentionally or otherwise. We can’t always observe personal characteristics. But we can observe actions that credibly signal information about those features. A college degree is often perceived as a signal of ability. A decent proxy of a person’s ability to think and learn and conform. In the 1970s, only 13% of Americans had bachelor’s degrees. Today more than 30% of Americans are college graduates. This has led to an educational signaling race. In his book The Case Against Education, the economist Bryan Caplan writes: “Th

The Logic Behind Status Signaling And the difference between signals and countersignals Rob Henderson Mar 31, 2022 105 5 5 Share Photo by Chris Lutke on Unsplash In his 2005 bestselling book, The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pick-Up Artists , Neil Strauss describes how a fellow student of “game” distinguishes himself among male competitors for the attention of a woman on a dating show. Most of the competitors bragged about how successful they were but Strauss’s friend claimed he was a “disposable lighter repairman.” This is an example of countersignaling. Signals leak information—ab

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