He explained it as a rudimentary scale from 1 to 10.

Expectations for him starts at a 3, and might rise to 8. Someone well dressed, might start at a 6 and rise to 8.

The difference is, well, what makes the difference.

Reminds me of what I called “emotional ramping” when I worked at conference booths. Most people in a booth are either a zombie (exhausted and uninterested) or a clown (putting on a show of excitement). The trick is to start your interactions with people somewhere above zombie and end somewhere below clown. If you start at a 10, you have nowhere to go.

Maybe. Another explanation could be that defying the social norms of the situation starts you at a higher level of status.