I think humans are hard-wired to distrust and dislike certain forms of self-promotion because of the risk of false signalling. In small tribes of apes everybody

I think humans are hard-wired to distrust and dislike certain forms of self-promotion because of the risk of false signalling. In small tribes of apes everybody knows everyone so trumpeting one’s accomplishments is basically trying to change people’s perception of something without changing the actual underlying signal. The higher status strategy almost always ends up being countersignaling, where “trying too hard” is basically the opposite of counter signaling. The problem (this is something I am actively learning in my work) is that the way society is set up right now requires you to participate in the “attention economy” and build your brand/reputation in a group far larger than an ape-sized tribe. Because you’re not established in those circles a priori you have to start with signaling instead of counter signaling. Basically, you have to have a PR team and win the hearts and minds of The Atlantic and Forbes before you can make a public spectacle of your ketamine habits. If you skip straight to that you’re just an insecure loser with a drug problem. But after everybody knows you and what you’ve done then you can establish yourself as a tortured artist, which is socially “better” than being just a regular artist.