Confusing status with skill

The tenured philosophy professor at Princeton might not even be half as effective a teacher as the adjunct at the community college.

The head of surgery might be relatively better at meetings and politics than they are at actually helping patients.

Having a lot of social media followers doesn’t mean you’re really good at... See more

Prestigious people are above all impressive. They have skills that admirers may wish for themselves — skills like playing basketball, understanding math, or method acting. Or (in the ancestral environment) skills like hunting, cooking, tool-making, or distinguishing edible from poisonous foods. And since humans learn mostly by observation and... See more

Wisdom Signalling: Why High-Fidelity Culture and Obsession are the New Power