Low Status behaviors:
… editing your sentences as you go
Unfortunately, this seems to be a habit of thoughtful, precise people (i.e. nerdy LW types) trying to ensure that they’re understood and not making any mistakes.
Adjusting the way you say something to help the other person understand; meeting the other person on their (cognitive) ground; explaining yourself.
Huh. Is it a coincidence that several markers of good thinking habits do double duty as low-status behaviors?
At first I was going to say that those were actually the two examples I didn’t agree with. I was going to ask, “Does it really signal low status to properly manage the inferential distance? Wouldn’t it be the opposite?”
But once I tried going on to writing the next sentence, I realized something. It’s high status to be ahead of somebody in the inferential distance. How often have you witnessed an argument where one person used a bunch of jargon from some science, their opponent asked them to close the inferential distance by defining those terms, and then the first guy acted as if the second had no business in the discussion if he doesn’t even know what those terms mean?
If the goal was simply to communicate one’s ideas, such behavior would be a fundamental incompetence: improper management of the inferential distance. But when the prize isn’t greater understanding, but social status, it can be useful to refuse to define your terms.
It’s high status to be ahead of somebody in the inferential distance.
Only if you are ahead in something that is socially respected. Otherwise you are just weird. Knowing a lot about rock music can make you a high-status expert. Knowing a lot about Star Wars trivia usually just isolates you.
How often have you witnessed an argument where one person used a bunch of jargon from some science, their opponent asked them to close the inferential distance by defining those terms, and then the first guy acted as if the second had no business in the discussion if he doesn’t even know what those terms mean?
Then it’s not only about the inferential distance, but also about the second person trying to follow the first person; which gave the first person opportunity to signal higher status.
Imagine a situation when the first person speaks using some scientific jargon that nobody understands, but the second person just says something funny and perhaps a little offensive, and the whole room laughs with them. Where is the high status now?
Is it a coincidence that several markers of good thinking habits do double duty as low-status behaviors?
Good thinking habits require being careful. Being careful is associated with being afraid. Being afraid is associated with being low-status.
To project high status, you should practice your art secretly, and only show public your best results—your achieved goals, your skills, and the respect of other people.
Our instincts are just evolutionary selected heuristics: sometimes they detect an activity as low-status even if the result of activity is high-status. It often makes sense… in an ancient environment.
Have you ever thought about this: one of the core aspects of specifically human social intelligence as opposed to other species is to read emotions from each others faces, and humans have more facial muscles to express these emotions than other species, yet, an “alpha male” will usually have an expressionless, stony face? And men who have expressive facial mimics (Rob Schneider, maybe Steven Buscemi etc.) come accross as kind of submissive? So one of the most core human characteristics is not used by the highest status folks?
Reading other’s emotions is the useful ability, being easy to read is usually a weakness. (Though it’s also possible to lose points by looking too dispassionate.)
Unfortunately, this seems to be a habit of thoughtful, precise people (i.e. nerdy LW types) trying to ensure that they’re understood and not making any mistakes.
Huh. Is it a coincidence that several markers of good thinking habits do double duty as low-status behaviors?
At first I was going to say that those were actually the two examples I didn’t agree with. I was going to ask, “Does it really signal low status to properly manage the inferential distance? Wouldn’t it be the opposite?”
But once I tried going on to writing the next sentence, I realized something. It’s high status to be ahead of somebody in the inferential distance. How often have you witnessed an argument where one person used a bunch of jargon from some science, their opponent asked them to close the inferential distance by defining those terms, and then the first guy acted as if the second had no business in the discussion if he doesn’t even know what those terms mean?
If the goal was simply to communicate one’s ideas, such behavior would be a fundamental incompetence: improper management of the inferential distance. But when the prize isn’t greater understanding, but social status, it can be useful to refuse to define your terms.
Is this what the article had in mind, or what?
Only if you are ahead in something that is socially respected. Otherwise you are just weird. Knowing a lot about rock music can make you a high-status expert. Knowing a lot about Star Wars trivia usually just isolates you.
Then it’s not only about the inferential distance, but also about the second person trying to follow the first person; which gave the first person opportunity to signal higher status.
Imagine a situation when the first person speaks using some scientific jargon that nobody understands, but the second person just says something funny and perhaps a little offensive, and the whole room laughs with them. Where is the high status now?
Good points I think. Thanks.
Good thinking habits require being careful. Being careful is associated with being afraid. Being afraid is associated with being low-status.
To project high status, you should practice your art secretly, and only show public your best results—your achieved goals, your skills, and the respect of other people.
Our instincts are just evolutionary selected heuristics: sometimes they detect an activity as low-status even if the result of activity is high-status. It often makes sense… in an ancient environment.
Have you ever thought about this: one of the core aspects of specifically human social intelligence as opposed to other species is to read emotions from each others faces, and humans have more facial muscles to express these emotions than other species, yet, an “alpha male” will usually have an expressionless, stony face? And men who have expressive facial mimics (Rob Schneider, maybe Steven Buscemi etc.) come accross as kind of submissive? So one of the most core human characteristics is not used by the highest status folks?
Uhm, countersignalling? “I am so powerful that I do not need this ability.”
Specifically: “I am so powerful that I do not need the abilities that make cooperation easier; others obey me anyway.”
Reading other’s emotions is the useful ability, being easy to read is usually a weakness. (Though it’s also possible to lose points by looking too dispassionate.)