This rings true. And most of us who realize that status is in our utility function can usually just say “Yeah but if I have higher status I’ll get XYZ, so it’s worth its place in my utility function, if only as a means to get XYZ.”
And you’ve called out some situations where there is no XYZ. In those cases, would we be able to reject status for its own sake? Or is it so embedded in our utility functions that we can’t help but feel driven toward it?
The commonness of the behavior suggests that most people can’t help but seek it. The Jefferson Davis case certainly suggests that leaders do not reject status for its own sake. The self-esteem-seeking explanation from Bucky addresses your question.
I’m agnostic about why they do so. In the same way an economist might be agnostic about why people like having more goods and services.
This rings true. And most of us who realize that status is in our utility function can usually just say “Yeah but if I have higher status I’ll get XYZ, so it’s worth its place in my utility function, if only as a means to get XYZ.”
And you’ve called out some situations where there is no XYZ. In those cases, would we be able to reject status for its own sake? Or is it so embedded in our utility functions that we can’t help but feel driven toward it?
The commonness of the behavior suggests that most people can’t help but seek it. The Jefferson Davis case certainly suggests that leaders do not reject status for its own sake. The self-esteem-seeking explanation from Bucky addresses your question.
I’m agnostic about why they do so. In the same way an economist might be agnostic about why people like having more goods and services.