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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.