I assure you I'm a nerd with no social standing whatsoever, and I'm almost flatt... | Hacker News

Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

paulsutter on March 6, 2017 | parent | context | favorite | on: The Economics of Status (2006)

I assure you I'm a nerd with no social standing whatsoever, and I'm almost flattered to be considered otherwise here in this thread.

And yes we're social creatures, and we all want to be understood and appreciated. But that's quite a different thing from pursuing social status.

cortesoft on March 6, 2017 [–]

I don't think it IS different.... being 'understood and appreciated' is exactly what social status is.

paulsutter on March 7, 2017 | [–]

No, social status is a zero sum /ranking/ of individuals and inherently competitive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_status

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact