> "What about people showing off their car, perfect pictures of their vacations on social media, some set of achievements or trophies, their perfect "battlestation" computer setup, etc. etc. etc."

You know plenty of people don't do any of this stuff, right? I get the feeling you meant that to be a broad list that would have virtually everybody covered in one respect or another, but if that was your intention you failed.

Everyone demonstrates their status-seeking in different ways. A really common one is to emphatically state how little such things that commonly motivate others also interest you. I guess its ok if that is your thing.

Status seeking, sure. Materialistic approaches to that? No, that is far from universal. Me snearing down my nose at people with materialist obsessions is certainly a form of status seeking, but not of the materialist variety.

I did say and mean generally, not virtually everyone.

I do think people who are not particularly interested in status signaling are somewhat rare.

I think that opinion probably reflects your immediate environment more than anything else.

Noticeable economic status differences (read: status symbols) are one of the most motivating forces in social behavior.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-psychology-of...

>...apart from economic payoffs, social status seems to be the most important incentive and motivating force of social behavior.” The more noticeable status disparities are, the more concerned with status people become, and the differences between the haves and have-nots have been extremely pronounced during the economic recession of recent years.

You’re not looking close enough. Most people signal status, even if subtle.

Talk about a book you read? Talk about how a certain restaurant is terrible? Talk about where you went on vacation? Talk about your job? Talk about music you like?

All those things signal status.

Yes, but this discussion is specifically about materialist signaling.

These aren't always equal, someone showing off their car because it's their hobby and they've spent months on it or someone spending a heap of time building and customizing their perfect battle station is very different to buying a rock. Within those communities someone buying their way in is often a negative signal.