Scott Alexander describes a fictional society's use of symbolic bead necklaces to redirect status games towards charitable giving.
Longer summary
This post describes a fictional society called Raikoth and its innovative approach to redirecting status games towards charitable giving. The society uses a system of symbolic beads worn as necklaces to convey personal information and social protocols. The most significant part of this system involves government-issued beads that indicate income levels and charitable donations. This setup encourages wealthy individuals to donate to charity to maintain their status, effectively turning charitable giving into the primary status game in the society. The post explores how this system might work and its potential effects on social behavior and wealth signaling.
Shorter summary