Even these guys have different clothes and such to signal status, as is apparent if one attends events like this.
Once the uniform gets strict enough, there is a limit to how much money can be spent on signalling, though not effort, I think. Things taking effort tend to be subject to diminishing returns, the part of diminishing returns that isn’t usually focused on is that one can usually do better by putting more into it.
Even these guys have different clothes and such to signal status, as is apparent if one attends events like this.
Once the uniform gets strict enough, there is a limit to how much money can be spent on signalling, though not effort, I think. Things taking effort tend to be subject to diminishing returns, the part of diminishing returns that isn’t usually focused on is that one can usually do better by putting more into it.
http://xkcd.com/915/ springs to mind.