THE CORRECT ANSWER
- the evolutionary necessity of the social dominance hierarchy.
- the primacy of status in that dominance hierarchy above all other values. Our loss aversion to status is our highest sensitivity after loss of access to mates. Any creature that cannot compete in its dominance hierarchy will see its pool driven to extinction.
- the primacy and necessity of kin selection (any kin group that does not will be driven to extinction.)
Give up on equality. It’s an evolutionary dead end. Make the best of what you have to work with. We are wealthier than at any point in history, but each of us is less important than we ever have been in history. This lowers our risk but provides us near zero status rewards that are under our control other than consumption signals.
which is why people are driven to consumption.
and it is why the poorer you are the more driven to consumption you are.
which is why the buddha and the stoics taught what they did.