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(It’s a similar peasant/noble distinction based on birth that is in essence the same as a caste system.)

Now think about why people care about the royal family. It is like is hollywood were a giant family. Yes it’s ‘just’ a source of gossip but more importantly, like hollywood, it’s a way for “us” to live *through* “them”. It’s a gateway to a better life, albeit an imagined one.

Have stratification of *any* kind allows one to imagine a better life for themselves AS THEY ARE. E.g. I can imagine myself as a noble, loved for who I AM vs needing plastic surgery, a high IQ, lots of money, etc...

Without arbitrary social distinction there is no way to imagine this. “I” literally have to change the essence of who “I” am to be beautiful/rich/powerful/etc... arbitrary gatekeeping allows me to “BE”.

No opinion on if this is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but the gist is that if a system works, by definition it is not “stupid”. Social stratification for example seems to emerge organically in large systems like that of China’s and Indias.

Modern China is a result of destroying these stratification structures. (Communism/Cultural Revolution) What has emerged from the rubble is a hierarchy of value based on utilitarianism. People are “equal” yes, but life has become a super high pressure rat race.

The point is... being able to imagine a better life for yourself while having a convenient excuse for not being in that life(I wasn’t born right) is a source of social stability.

Imagine if everyone had to pretend to care about financial stuff, linear algebra (because AI!), coding, etc... it’s a world of ambitious faking it till I make it but it’s also a world built entirely out of bullshit.

Sometimes when having to do something I really don’t enjoy but is lucrative I’ll delegate to someone else who does it better. But internally I’ll have mean thoughts. “Yea lol that dude is autistic that’s y he’s so good at math.”

My mind uses a similar caste system (born some way) logic to avoid forcing myself to do something painful without having to admit “I guess I’m fucking stupid.”

There is no way for a stonecutter to proudly exclaim “I AM THE WORLD’S BEST STONECUTTER.” without social stratification. The only way to achieve that feeling is by becoming a VC, creating AGI, or sending a car to Mars.

Since this is not possible for everyone (and also not desirable since society needs other jobs like pizza artisans and cat sitters) this creates a world where there is much less pride at being human.

Only the minority of the minority can proudly claim to have fully actualized. Everyone else either lives in perpetual shame or goes off the grid and homesteads.

So in summary... any type of structure can be load bearing, supporting the weary masses as a place of rest. Destroying load bearing structures without providing alternative places of rest for the body, mind, and social places everyone into a perpetual rat race.