Origin Story with David McIntosh Jr #105 David Pinsof - Status: How to Use it, Choose it, Lose it and Abuse it
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Mar 8, 2024 David Pinsof, co-creator of Cards Against Humanity and a researcher at UCLA Mind Labs, dives into the complexities of human behavior and status. He unpacks the cultural phenomenon behind his game and the relationship between authenticity and social status. Discover how wealth influences perception and how humor acts as social currency. Pinsof also distinguishes between lying and bullshitting, navigating the fears associated with mortality. His insights address mental health, social dynamics, and how personal fulfillment can clash with societal expectations.
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People Emit Status PR
- Humans produce PR narratives because evolved minds are built to seek status and alliances.
- Peeling back PR reveals strategic, status-seeking, alliance-forming primates beneath our stated motives.
The Paradox Of Status Seeking
- Status seeking is paradoxical: showing you care about status usually lowers it.
- Cultures constantly shift status signals so people can appear not to be seeking status while actually doing so.
Authenticity Is Performed
- Authenticity is itself a social signal that must be performed to gain status.
- People often feel authentic when they're being their best version, not their 'true' raw self.