It’s not a conscious optimization. It’s just having to compete with others. Same as needing a college degree for so many jobs, not because it’s going to teach y

It’s not a conscious optimization. It’s just having to compete with others. Same as needing a college degree for so many jobs, not because it’s going to teach you what you need, but because enough of the other applicants have one and it’s a tiny tiny signal. Imagine a world where you can get enough pay to eat and go out and pay rent in four hours of work per week. Your landlord can rent to you or to the person who decides to work eight hours per week, so he raises the rent and rents to the other guy who is willing to work more and needs housing as much as you do. So now you have to work more too. Everyone works more because everyone else works more, just like you have to not cooperate on a prisoners dilemma because you know the other guy won’t cooperate either (because he knows the same thing you do).