Brilliant framing of positional goods as a postmodern marker. That nightclub example really crystallizes something: in modernity, status was about what you owned; in postmodernity, it's increasingly about ephemeral experiences you can signal. I've noticed freinds willing to spend way more on a "curated" restaurant they can post about than on actual furntiure. The democratization angle is key too - everyone competing for positional goods creates this exhausting treadmill where nothing stays elite for long.
Brilliant framing of positional goods as a postmodern marker. That nightclub example really crystallizes something: in modernity, status was about what you owned; in postmodernity, it's increasingly about ephemeral experiences you can signal. I've noticed freinds willing to spend way more on a "curated" restaurant they can post about than on actual furntiure. The democratization angle is key too - everyone competing for positional goods creates this exhausting treadmill where nothing stays elite for long.
Could be a fertile line of inquiry. Can you think of any books/articles/etc which concretize it?
When is the 2026 list coming out, Venkat? I don't think I can read as fast as this group so I would probably aim for half pace.
Follow the chats. I’ve already posted the first pick (Candide)
Got it, thanks!