There's a marvelous book The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life Hardcover by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson which argues convincingly that we

There's a marvelous book The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life Hardcover by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson which argues convincingly that we are often pushed by motives we don't recognize, and do things for reasons other than what we proclaim: much of what we do is motivated by signalling, even if we are not consciously aware of it. Highly recommend this book!