Tyler Cowen finds this interesting (link):
The guy in jeans at the Sotheby's auction is more likely to buy a $40 million Picasso than the guy in the suit, who is probably just an art dealer.
Tyler calls it "counter-signaling." I’d agree, it is interesting, but perhaps not as novel as he may think. It’s like Chris Rock’s distinction between rich and wealthy. Shaq is rich. The white guy who brings him his check every week is wealthy.
More generally, this is the kind of thing a good cop knows as a matter of practicing his trade. Example, we have a famous professor at our University—call him Professsor X. He’s a lovely guy and a great institutional citizen, but he looks like he gets his clothes out of the dumpster. He’s also a world-renowned authority on the butterfly, which means he spends a lot of time hanging out under bridges.
My friend Anon says it is the responsibility of the University policed to know the difference between Professor X and a street person.
Anon also says that if you see a man over 30 wearing a tuxedo that fits, then it’s not his. If it’s his own, he has had it since his college days and he’s too fat for it. If it fits, it’s rented.
Did I mention that Anon’s father was a police court judge? They know things like this.
For more on this kind of counter-signaling, go here.
No comments:
Post a Comment