Robin Hanson

Robin Hanson argues that our reliance on status hierarchies is a deeply entrenched aspect of human nature that influences many aspects of society. From selecting professionals and leaders to shaping social values and norms, we place immense trust in those with high status. This tendency stems from our evolutionary history of copying successful behaviors, but now pervades systems like governance, regulation, and self-policing industries. Hanson posits that we are in denial about the extent to which status governs our lives, often failing to seek objective performance measures.