I think it's a form of overcompensation. We all know deep down that we're pampered and privileged and frankly not contributing as much to the world as we're tak

I think it's a form of overcompensation. We all know deep down that we're pampered and privileged and frankly not contributing as much to the world as we're taking out of it. Thank you, supply and demand and barely-free-enough markets! But instead of just accepting that and making our peace with it, many of us try to make up for it with our choice of sports, hobbies, or accoutrements. There are way more techies obsessed with martial arts or brewing or sports cars than even other demographic factors such as income would predict. I think it's the same with trade and craft knowledge. Any techie with any exposure at all to the more traditionally "manly" trades (I'd include things like military/police work or firefighting here) tends to flaunt it as a way to show that they're more worldly and "authentic" than all those other techies who have never known any other life. I used to do it myself, except that my "trade" was the simple one of actually being poor. Then I realized that it was just another kind of virtue signaling, and it lost its appeal.