respect & attention games

Growing up, you've probably had your parents tell you to care about what others think. They want you to be respected by society. But when you shrug it off, thinking, "Who cares?" you're not alone. This "respect and status" stuff may seem old-fashioned to Gen Z, but if you look closer, they're still after something very similar: attention.

For Gen Z, it's all about getting noticed online. They buy Jordans, post pictures of walls in the name of aesthetics, and listen to the same songs everyone else is listening to.

On the other side, for older generations, it was about owning an expensive car, a grand house, and donating a significant amount of money to temples. It's more of the same thing, which leads to the same route.

Gen Z might say they don't care about what people think, but they often end up doing what everyone else is doing on Instagram. It's like they're falling into a trap of being ordinary and conforming.

I believe seeking approval from others is something we all do. It's in our nature. We humans are social creatures. If someone says they don't care what others think, they're probably not telling the whole truth, or they are just like Buddha.

Seeking validation and seeking power are very different things. People sometimes mix the two up because they have this false view that people of their status don't seek validation. As you gain more influence, the people whose opinions matter to you change. So, high-status people throw big parties and buy expensive cars because they care about what their circle of friends and colleagues think.

Someone like Mukesh Ambani won't care what you say about his daughter's lavish wedding. He cares about what the people who attended the wedding think.

Same game, different rules.