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The same can be said of BMWs, Philip Patek, Louis Vuitton, and dozens of other luxury brands. People like buying status signals, but it doesn’t signal how “non-

The same can be said of BMWs, Philip Patek, Louis Vuitton, and dozens of other luxury brands. People like buying status signals, but it doesn’t signal how “non-advanced” we are. It’s how society has always worked and will always work.

Tao3300 3y ago
> It’s how society has always worked and will always work. There are a lot of things throughout history that you could say about. At the time it would have been impossible to see any other way, and yet we have advanced.
Fezzik 3y ago
Surely it does - the fact that most people—or large numbers of people—are still incapable of distinguishing between when they are exchanging their dollars for something that has no value beyond the hype behind it and making good financial decisions shows we, as a society, have a long ways to go in improving how we teach ourselves and others to value stuff. It’s one of many things we have to improve on, but rocks purchased for tens-of-thousands-of-dollars are a prime example of supremely poor financial decision making. At least cars are modes of transportation, watches tell time, and bags hold things. Diamonds are truly just bullshit.
- OkayPhysicist 3y ago
  Status symbols are just that. Status symbols. If you look through nature, you see very similar behaviors everywhere: the "frivolous" use of resources to demonstrate an individual's status in the group, and their desirability as a mate. Peacock's feathers, caribou antlers, those absolutely kickin' nests that some birds assemble, penguins with their shiny rock collections, humans with our shiny rock collections. It's a bit of a prisoner's dilemma, in that one's unwillingness to engage in such demonstrations of status will be interpreted as an inability to do so, but to the individual its still an optimal play. At least it gives us an excuse to acquire pretty things. Can you imagine how ugly the world would be if no one was building architectural marvels or designing elaborate cars or jewelry because they could poor concrete into cubes more cheaply?
- listenallyall 3y ago
  It's not really bullshit, it is a physical manifestation of the commitment that is supposed to accompany a marriage. People are human, the stone is both a reminder of the vows that they took as well as a sacrifice the husband made to demonstrate love and commitment for that particular spouse. Yes of course it doesn't have to be a diamond per se, but that's basically what the entire world has agreed upon for this particular gesture. And because the entire world recognizes it, it does have value "beyond the hype." Placing a hand on the Bible before testifying in court, physically signing a legal document, are both the same concept... a symbolic, physical representation of an intangible promise
  - Fezzik 3y ago
    You should read that article about how y’all got duped into buying diamonds as tokens of your love. It’s enlightening. And… I mean… we have (thank Satan) done away with swearing on bibles in all nations and all but a few backwater states in the US where politicians that sexually abuse children are viewed as champions of the people. Also, I’d wager a good chunk of my savings that most of the 50% of marriages that dissolve involve diamond rings. So clearly those physical manifestations are rather ephemeral. Edit: grammar
    - listenallyall 3y ago
      Pointing out that diamonds specifically are not actually special, unique or rare gems and that marriage oaths they are intended to represent are still likely to be broken, does not make you as smart as you seem to think you are. All of this is already well-known and well-accepted by the vast majority of the population. Swearing on a Bible or just verbally affirming that you promise to tell the truth in court, again, entirely symbolic. However, these are the customs that the general population has chosen to acknowledge, and it is the ritual, the recognition of widely-accepted customs and traditions, that makes them valuable as signifiers that one is, to some degree, participating as a normal member of society. Like putting up a Christmas tree or singing the national anthem at a sporting event. Opting out is absolutely fine, but it's not a sign of enlightenment.
      - 3y ago

Tao3300 3y ago

> It’s how society has always worked and will always work. There are a lot of things throughout history that you could say about. At the time it would have been impossible to see any other way, and yet we have advanced.

Fezzik 3y ago

Surely it does - the fact that most people—or large numbers of people—are still incapable of distinguishing between when they are exchanging their dollars for something that has no value beyond the hype behind it and making good financial decisions shows we, as a society, have a long ways to go in improving how we teach ourselves and others to value stuff. It’s one of many things we have to improve on, but rocks purchased for tens-of-thousands-of-dollars are a prime example of supremely poor financial decision making. At least cars are modes of transportation, watches tell time, and bags hold things. Diamonds are truly just bullshit.

OkayPhysicist 3y ago
Status symbols are just that. Status symbols. If you look through nature, you see very similar behaviors everywhere: the "frivolous" use of resources to demonstrate an individual's status in the group, and their desirability as a mate. Peacock's feathers, caribou antlers, those absolutely kickin' nests that some birds assemble, penguins with their shiny rock collections, humans with our shiny rock collections. It's a bit of a prisoner's dilemma, in that one's unwillingness to engage in such demonstrations of status will be interpreted as an inability to do so, but to the individual its still an optimal play. At least it gives us an excuse to acquire pretty things. Can you imagine how ugly the world would be if no one was building architectural marvels or designing elaborate cars or jewelry because they could poor concrete into cubes more cheaply?
listenallyall 3y ago
It's not really bullshit, it is a physical manifestation of the commitment that is supposed to accompany a marriage. People are human, the stone is both a reminder of the vows that they took as well as a sacrifice the husband made to demonstrate love and commitment for that particular spouse. Yes of course it doesn't have to be a diamond per se, but that's basically what the entire world has agreed upon for this particular gesture. And because the entire world recognizes it, it does have value "beyond the hype." Placing a hand on the Bible before testifying in court, physically signing a legal document, are both the same concept... a symbolic, physical representation of an intangible promise
- Fezzik 3y ago
  You should read that article about how y’all got duped into buying diamonds as tokens of your love. It’s enlightening. And… I mean… we have (thank Satan) done away with swearing on bibles in all nations and all but a few backwater states in the US where politicians that sexually abuse children are viewed as champions of the people. Also, I’d wager a good chunk of my savings that most of the 50% of marriages that dissolve involve diamond rings. So clearly those physical manifestations are rather ephemeral. Edit: grammar
  - listenallyall 3y ago
    Pointing out that diamonds specifically are not actually special, unique or rare gems and that marriage oaths they are intended to represent are still likely to be broken, does not make you as smart as you seem to think you are. All of this is already well-known and well-accepted by the vast majority of the population. Swearing on a Bible or just verbally affirming that you promise to tell the truth in court, again, entirely symbolic. However, these are the customs that the general population has chosen to acknowledge, and it is the ritual, the recognition of widely-accepted customs and traditions, that makes them valuable as signifiers that one is, to some degree, participating as a normal member of society. Like putting up a Christmas tree or singing the national anthem at a sporting event. Opting out is absolutely fine, but it's not a sign of enlightenment.
    - 3y ago