Stealth Wealth
Status shown by not showing it — quiet luxury, minimalism, frugality as virtue, signalling that you understand the signalling game; the codes are subtler and the premium often higher.
An everyday example
An unbranded cashmere coat that costs more than the logoed one, legible only to those who know.
What it can cost you
Paying for invisibility to a tiny audience; mistaking counter-signalling for freedom from signalling.
Warning signs
- My restraint is for an audience.
- I judge others' logos.
One thing to do
Ask who the display is for; if the answer is 'people who can read the code', it is a costly signal like any other.
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