Comments - Nobody Walks to Canterbury - by Will Manidis
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Nobody Walks to Canterbury
It is 1538. Read →
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I think you're wrong about why those why those rich guys buy those rare books. It's because they'll gain status when others see them on those shelves. It's kind of like a racing yacht used to be. When the fashion changes, something else will be bought. Hopefully. the rare books won't be dumped. In the modern world, the Center bounces around.
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Like Gatsby
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Crucially the internet has neither a center nor a terminus
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I really liked this article. Very interesting perspective.
It got me thinking about 2 other human drives that might intersect with this idea.
The first is man's apparent need for struggle in order to feel achievement and arrive at contentment/satisfaction/happiness. The pilgrimage to a shrine or a Michelin restaurant fulfill this.
The second is the attraction to rare things that cannot be easily reproduced or counterfeited. First edition books, classic cars, watches, art along with gold/bitcoin all share this characteristic. Their value is not utilitarian, but comes from the difficulty in obtaining or replacing them.
In a way, "store of wealth" is also a store of struggle and sacrifice. Wealth represents accumulated labour and, to some degree, rare talent/skill. So objects that act as a store of wealth may really just be objects that represent a store of these core human drives.
One last additional thought... The "rare books" example, may also reflect a cultural shift in status signalling. 30 or 40 years ago, status was often displayed through flashy cars, watches, etc. Today displays like that feel a little more crude. Books, art, etc. seem to be viewed more favourably and therefore are a more tasteful way to signal status, and store wealth.
In any case, thank you for the article and I hope I didn't just rephrase what you wrote.
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