LTV for Status
The labor theory of value, famous for its association with Marxism (at least in its orthodox form), holds that value is derived from the average time required to produce a given unit. According to this theory, at least for commodities, value simply refers to the average time required to produce them. This is wrong, like most Marxist ideas, but it’s interesting and made me think of something that may be just as wrong but perhaps also as interesting.
Status is often broken down into two parts: prestige and dominance. Dominance is power over people, sometimes called the power of the king. Prestige is more complex and involves demonstrating one’s value to a group as well as being recognized as an example of behavior that would be valued by the group. Think about being recognized as a good hunter, as well as being recognized as having been a good hunter.
I would argue that status can be seen as referring to envy. Let’s start by defining envy. Envy is a negatively valenced emotion (i.e., a state you don’t want to be in), in which you recognize that another person has a desirable quality that you don’t possess. Note: status is not driven by envy; it literally is envy. Having a positive emotion such as admiration doesn’t confer status on the target; in this theory, it’s the associated negative valence aspect that does.
Envy is often directed at things such as the skill of the master, the agency of the intellectual, or the dominance of the king. A world where everyone had access to the same things would be a world without status. A world where there are differences but where these don’t cause negative valence states, such as feelings of lacking or inferiority, would also be a world without status.
If this theory is true, then a fundamental feature of human nature, namely status, is negatively valenced. Every status transaction is a micro unit of suffering. Consider the “snap your fingers” test. Can you think of someone you would grant status to who doesn’t possess a quality you would want to possess if you could simply snap your fingers to get it, at no cost?
This implies that seeking status consists of aspiring to become the kind of person who elicits these specific negative states in others. In a way, human nature is sadistic, deriving pleasure from causing a specific type of suffering in others.