Pluralistic ignorance makes even genuine individual distinction look like imitation

Evidence

Individual distinction is risky—and often impossible to pull off when everyone is trying to achieve the same thing. We all face an additional challenge in pluralistic ignorance: the fact that we make our “different” choices without knowing everyone else’s next actions. Ray Garcia, an old-school sneakerhead, confessed, “I didn’t want to see one other person with the same sneakers as me. Not one,” but achieving this requires not only choosing exclusive styles but guaranteeing they’ll continue to be exclusive in the future as well. Distinction is difficult in modern society when we all share the same categories of self-definition: clothes, homes, cars, beverages. Pluralistic ignorance means even the boldest acts of individual distinction can end up looking like imitation. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 176

Categorization

• DEFINE: Crisply defines ‘pluralistic ignorance’ as making different choices without knowing others’ next actions, in a status context.
• XREF: connects to: Hipsters are hated for denouncing imitation while themselves imitating. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 164; Pluralistic ignorance sustains norms even after private attitudes have shifted — , The Rod and the Child: A Global History…, 7327; Imitation and distinction operate as complementary forces rather than opposites — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 165 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Pluralistic ignorance sustains norms even after private attitudes have shifted #expands (0.82) — , The Rod and the Child, 7327
• Imitation and distinction operate as complementary forces rather than opposites #complicates (0.78) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 165
• Collective public commitment dissolves pluralistic ignorance by revealing shared doubt #corroborates (0.76) — , The Rod and the Child, 7371
• False identity means apparent individuality itself is the manufactured illusion #expands (0.74) — Theodor W. Adorno, The Culture Industry, 24