"The Elite is pre-Malthusian; they are obsessed with the zero-sum game of social status and the need to keep themselves elevated and others out" In The Wealth

"The Elite is pre-Malthusian; they are obsessed with the zero-sum game of social status and the need to keep themselves elevated and others out" In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith said that when people strive for more wealth than they need to live comfortably, it is to achieve high social esteem.