Disagree that “[a]t best, these theories just do not bring much new to the table” but agree that the over-emphasis on these theories is “extremely unhelpful.” That is, they provide good insights and explanatory power, and even substantial explanatory power on the margin sometimes, but having non-zero R2 is not the same as being the explanation with the highest R2. Assuming the latter is often not accurate. Ironically, I find myself mostly agreeing with a post that Razied disagrees with while also mostly agreeing with Razied—the human value function is not solely, or even primarily, status seeking.
Likewise, I also disagree with “[on social media], it is well known people are playing their meaningful status games and doing false signalling on a high simulacrum level’ because Ape in the coat is doing exactly what they are complaining about. Certainly this happens, and in some cases dominates any other reasons for people’s behavior on social media, but again, most of why people engage on social media is likely not to be about obtaining status, unless status is to be so broadly defined as to include things like “personal satisfaction.”
Getting meta, here I find myself engaging in a social medium that even has a very clear social approval mechanism. Yes, I want lots of yummy upvotes (is it because they accord me status somehow, or because the social approval provides peer review for the validity of my hopefully-rational take?), but mainly I’m posting because I think my opinion is right, worthwhile to share, and hopefully conveyed in a way that can, if not persuade, update.
Disagree that “[a]t best, these theories just do not bring much new to the table” but agree that the over-emphasis on these theories is “extremely unhelpful.” That is, they provide good insights and explanatory power, and even substantial explanatory power on the margin sometimes, but having non-zero R2 is not the same as being the explanation with the highest R2. Assuming the latter is often not accurate. Ironically, I find myself mostly agreeing with a post that Razied disagrees with while also mostly agreeing with Razied—the human value function is not solely, or even primarily, status seeking.
Likewise, I also disagree with “[on social media], it is well known people are playing their meaningful status games and doing false signalling on a high simulacrum level’ because Ape in the coat is doing exactly what they are complaining about. Certainly this happens, and in some cases dominates any other reasons for people’s behavior on social media, but again, most of why people engage on social media is likely not to be about obtaining status, unless status is to be so broadly defined as to include things like “personal satisfaction.”
Getting meta, here I find myself engaging in a social medium that even has a very clear social approval mechanism. Yes, I want lots of yummy upvotes (is it because they accord me status somehow, or because the social approval provides peer review for the validity of my hopefully-rational take?), but mainly I’m posting because I think my opinion is right, worthwhile to share, and hopefully conveyed in a way that can, if not persuade, update.