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I think you're being unfairly downvoted, mostly because I don't think childish quite conveys the thought. There does seem to be some personality type that likes

I think you're being unfairly downvoted, mostly because I don't think childish quite conveys the thought. There does seem to be some personality type that likes a lot of flair in their life -- jewelry, stickers, tattoos, busy t-shirts -- and it's always felt a little odd to me, too. At risk of being reductionist, it is kind of hard to understand why anyone would feel compelled to signal their likes and group-identities to strangers in such an overt way. But I'm probably revealing more about my own personality by saying that than I am theirs.

sp332 12y ago
I think "compelled" is the wrong word. People like their own opinions and they like to tell them to other people. Well, you've signaled your likes to this community of strangers.
z2600 12y ago
Your comment is a signaling of your likes and group-identities to strangers in an overt way.
revscat 12y ago
> At risk of being reductionist, it is kind of hard to understand why anyone would feel compelled to signal their likes and group-identities to strangers in such an overt way. But I'm probably revealing more about my own personality by saying that than I am theirs. I think the second sentence is more true than you might like to admit. People have been decorating things for as long as there have been modern humans. There is some evidence that even Neanderthals modified their environments for aesthetic reasons [1]. The desire to make things beautiful -- including our own bodies -- is as old as history itself, and even older. If you don't partake in this then I, for one, consider that a bit sad. You're missing out on a huge part of life. [1] http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/jun/14/neanderthals-first-create-cave-paintings http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/jun/14/neanderthals-...
- dionidium 12y ago
  To be fair (and as a sort of vote for the this-behavior-is-childish camp), I was much more into this sort of thing when I was a younger person.

sp332 12y ago

I think "compelled" is the wrong word. People like their own opinions and they like to tell them to other people. Well, you've signaled your likes to this community of strangers.

z2600 12y ago

Your comment is a signaling of your likes and group-identities to strangers in an overt way.

revscat 12y ago

> At risk of being reductionist, it is kind of hard to understand why anyone would feel compelled to signal their likes and group-identities to strangers in such an overt way. But I'm probably revealing more about my own personality by saying that than I am theirs. I think the second sentence is more true than you might like to admit. People have been decorating things for as long as there have been modern humans. There is some evidence that even Neanderthals modified their environments for aesthetic reasons [1]. The desire to make things beautiful -- including our own bodies -- is as old as history itself, and even older. If you don't partake in this then I, for one, consider that a bit sad. You're missing out on a huge part of life. [1] http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/jun/14/neanderthals-first-create-cave-paintings http://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/jun/14/neanderthals-...

dionidium 12y ago
To be fair (and as a sort of vote for the this-behavior-is-childish camp), I was much more into this sort of thing when I was a younger person.