Theory religion is an underrated status signal (2 Viewers)

[ced]

​

this isn't really about whether religion is true or not
i'm talking purely from a social perspective because religion is probably one of the strongest pre-built identities you can have
most people have basically no coherent identity outside of whatever they happen to be doing at the time. their personality changes depending on who they're around, they have no real principles and their lifestyle is just whatever gives them the most stimulation
religion is basically the opposite of that

the biggest thing is consistency

if someone actually lives according to a religion, you can usually predict a lot about them before even knowing them properly

how they dress
what they eat
what they won't do
how they spend their time
who they associate with
what they believe is right/wrong

that consistency makes the person seem more grounded because their behaviour has an explanation behind it
compare that to someone who says they "don't really believe in anything" and just does whatever their friends are doing
one has an identity, the other just has preferences

community is probably even more important

religion gives you something that most people spend years trying to build independently: an established social network
you aren't just meeting random people at school/work and hoping you become friends. there are already families, communities, events, traditions and social expectations built around it
and being connected to a community also gives you social proof
if respected people already know you, vouch for you and include you, that carries over into how new people perceive you

there's also the discipline aspect

fasting is a good example
regardless of whether someone agrees with the religious reasoning behind it, voluntarily restricting yourself for a higher principle demonstrates delayed gratification
same with avoiding certain behaviours because they're considered sinful
modern people massively underestimate how much self-control affects someone's presence
someone who can actually tell themselves "no" tends to come across differently from someone who is completely ruled by whatever urge they have that day

and this is where people misunderstand status

status isn't just money or looks
a huge part of status is having something that other people recognise as valuable
religion can provide that through conviction, community, tradition and reputation
which is why historically religion has been tied to social structure basically everywhere
obviously none of this means you should start cosplaying as religious for status

if you're an atheist, pretending to have beliefs you don't have is probably one of the fastest ways to make yourself look fake once people know you properly
the actual lesson is that having principles + discipline + community + a coherent identity is socially powerful
religions just happen to have been refining that combination for a very long time

Spoiler: Studies

Aksoy & Wiertz (2024)
https://academic.oup.com/esr/article/40/1/143/7140383

Sosis & Bressler (2003)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1069397103037002003

Mogan, Fischer & Bulbulia (2017)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103116306114

Reddish et al. (2017)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18023-4

United on Sunday (2021)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0242546

tags:
@zaza @TrueIncel333 @fent @DirtbagTeenager @mtb.slayer-69 @Includings @Skull @edcell:TL

 

[edcell:TL]

​

this isn't really about whether religion is true or not
i'm talking purely from a social perspective because religion is probably one of the strongest pre-built identities you can have
most people have basically no coherent identity outside of whatever they happen to be doing at the time. their personality changes depending on who they're around, they have no real principles and their lifestyle is just whatever gives them the most stimulation
religion is basically the opposite of that

the biggest thing is consistency

if someone actually lives according to a religion, you can usually predict a lot about them before even knowing them properly

how they dress
what they eat
what they won't do
how they spend their time
who they associate with
what they believe is right/wrong

that consistency makes the person seem more grounded because their behaviour has an explanation behind it
compare that to someone who says they "don't really believe in anything" and just does whatever their friends are doing
one has an identity, the other just has preferences

community is probably even more important

religion gives you something that most people spend years trying to build independently: an established social network
you aren't just meeting random people at school/work and hoping you become friends. there are already families, communities, events, traditions and social expectations built around it
and being connected to a community also gives you social proof
if respected people already know you, vouch for you and include you, that carries over into how new people perceive you

there's also the discipline aspect

fasting is a good example
regardless of whether someone agrees with the religious reasoning behind it, voluntarily restricting yourself for a higher principle demonstrates delayed gratification
same with avoiding certain behaviours because they're considered sinful
modern people massively underestimate how much self-control affects someone's presence
someone who can actually tell themselves "no" tends to come across differently from someone who is completely ruled by whatever urge they have that day

and this is where people misunderstand status

status isn't just money or looks
a huge part of status is having something that other people recognise as valuable
religion can provide that through conviction, community, tradition and reputation
which is why historically religion has been tied to social structure basically everywhere
obviously none of this means you should start cosplaying as religious for status

if you're an atheist, pretending to have beliefs you don't have is probably one of the fastest ways to make yourself look fake once people know you properly
the actual lesson is that having principles + discipline + community + a coherent identity is socially powerful
religions just happen to have been refining that combination for a very long time

Spoiler: Studies

Aksoy & Wiertz (2024)
https://academic.oup.com/esr/article/40/1/143/7140383

Sosis & Bressler (2003)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1069397103037002003

Mogan, Fischer & Bulbulia (2017)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103116306114

Reddish et al. (2017)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18023-4

United on Sunday (2021)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0242546

tags:
@zaza @TrueIncel333 @fent @DirtbagTeenager @mtb.slayer-69 @Includings @Skull @edcell:TL

That’s actually a very interesting perspective. I did notice that all the wealthier children at my old school were very religious, and all of their parents had very good connections. I wonder if it’s because religious people divorce less, which results in a stronger family unit. But I also noticed that being something like Muslim would kind of be a failo in the way people treat you.
I do miss going to church when I was younger tho lol. Even though I’m no longer religious, it would be nice to raise my children with Christian values.

 

[edcell:TL]

​

this isn't really about whether religion is true or not
i'm talking purely from a social perspective because religion is probably one of the strongest pre-built identities you can have
most people have basically no coherent identity outside of whatever they happen to be doing at the time. their personality changes depending on who they're around, they have no real principles and their lifestyle is just whatever gives them the most stimulation
religion is basically the opposite of that

the biggest thing is consistency

if someone actually lives according to a religion, you can usually predict a lot about them before even knowing them properly

how they dress
what they eat
what they won't do
how they spend their time
who they associate with
what they believe is right/wrong

that consistency makes the person seem more grounded because their behaviour has an explanation behind it
compare that to someone who says they "don't really believe in anything" and just does whatever their friends are doing
one has an identity, the other just has preferences

community is probably even more important

religion gives you something that most people spend years trying to build independently: an established social network
you aren't just meeting random people at school/work and hoping you become friends. there are already families, communities, events, traditions and social expectations built around it
and being connected to a community also gives you social proof
if respected people already know you, vouch for you and include you, that carries over into how new people perceive you

there's also the discipline aspect

fasting is a good example
regardless of whether someone agrees with the religious reasoning behind it, voluntarily restricting yourself for a higher principle demonstrates delayed gratification
same with avoiding certain behaviours because they're considered sinful
modern people massively underestimate how much self-control affects someone's presence
someone who can actually tell themselves "no" tends to come across differently from someone who is completely ruled by whatever urge they have that day

and this is where people misunderstand status

status isn't just money or looks
a huge part of status is having something that other people recognise as valuable
religion can provide that through conviction, community, tradition and reputation
which is why historically religion has been tied to social structure basically everywhere
obviously none of this means you should start cosplaying as religious for status

if you're an atheist, pretending to have beliefs you don't have is probably one of the fastest ways to make yourself look fake once people know you properly
the actual lesson is that having principles + discipline + community + a coherent identity is socially powerful
religions just happen to have been refining that combination for a very long time

Spoiler: Studies

Aksoy & Wiertz (2024)
https://academic.oup.com/esr/article/40/1/143/7140383

Sosis & Bressler (2003)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1069397103037002003

Mogan, Fischer & Bulbulia (2017)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103116306114

Reddish et al. (2017)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18023-4

United on Sunday (2021)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0242546

tags:
@zaza @TrueIncel333 @fent @DirtbagTeenager @mtb.slayer-69 @Includings @Skull @edcell:TL

bump

 

[ced]

But I also noticed that being something like Muslim would kind of be a failo in the way people treat you.

im "muslim" i can confirm its a halo

 

[edcell:TL]

im "muslim" i can confirm its a halo

Really? I’ve never met a white Muslim.

 

[ced]

Really? I’ve never met a white Muslim.

there are sooo many of them bro

 

[edcell:TL]

im "muslim" i can confirm its a halo

there are sooo many of them bro

This country is very Islamophobic. You look good though, so most people would probably just see it as a cool fact about you. Have you seen all the shit about Pauline Hanson and how she wants to ban the burqa?

 

[ced]

This country is very Islamophobic. You look good though, so most people would probably just see it as a cool fact about you. Have you seen all the shit about Pauline Hanson and how she wants to ban the burqa?

ye but like im not even muslim i js use it as a fun fact thing and i like fasting so
im self proclamed lol

 

[Skull]

​

this isn't really about whether religion is true or not
i'm talking purely from a social perspective because religion is probably one of the strongest pre-built identities you can have
most people have basically no coherent identity outside of whatever they happen to be doing at the time. their personality changes depending on who they're around, they have no real principles and their lifestyle is just whatever gives them the most stimulation
religion is basically the opposite of that

the biggest thing is consistency

if someone actually lives according to a religion, you can usually predict a lot about them before even knowing them properly

how they dress
what they eat
what they won't do
how they spend their time
who they associate with
what they believe is right/wrong

that consistency makes the person seem more grounded because their behaviour has an explanation behind it
compare that to someone who says they "don't really believe in anything" and just does whatever their friends are doing
one has an identity, the other just has preferences

community is probably even more important

religion gives you something that most people spend years trying to build independently: an established social network
you aren't just meeting random people at school/work and hoping you become friends. there are already families, communities, events, traditions and social expectations built around it
and being connected to a community also gives you social proof
if respected people already know you, vouch for you and include you, that carries over into how new people perceive you

there's also the discipline aspect

fasting is a good example
regardless of whether someone agrees with the religious reasoning behind it, voluntarily restricting yourself for a higher principle demonstrates delayed gratification
same with avoiding certain behaviours because they're considered sinful
modern people massively underestimate how much self-control affects someone's presence
someone who can actually tell themselves "no" tends to come across differently from someone who is completely ruled by whatever urge they have that day

and this is where people misunderstand status

status isn't just money or looks
a huge part of status is having something that other people recognise as valuable
religion can provide that through conviction, community, tradition and reputation
which is why historically religion has been tied to social structure basically everywhere
obviously none of this means you should start cosplaying as religious for status

if you're an atheist, pretending to have beliefs you don't have is probably one of the fastest ways to make yourself look fake once people know you properly
the actual lesson is that having principles + discipline + community + a coherent identity is socially powerful
religions just happen to have been refining that combination for a very long time

Spoiler: Studies

Aksoy & Wiertz (2024)
https://academic.oup.com/esr/article/40/1/143/7140383

Sosis & Bressler (2003)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1069397103037002003

Mogan, Fischer & Bulbulia (2017)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103116306114

Reddish et al. (2017)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18023-4

United on Sunday (2021)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0242546

tags:
@zaza @TrueIncel333 @fent @DirtbagTeenager @mtb.slayer-69 @Includings @Skull @edcell:TL

ok ok

 

[DirtbagTeenager]

​

this isn't really about whether religion is true or not
i'm talking purely from a social perspective because religion is probably one of the strongest pre-built identities you can have
most people have basically no coherent identity outside of whatever they happen to be doing at the time. their personality changes depending on who they're around, they have no real principles and their lifestyle is just whatever gives them the most stimulation
religion is basically the opposite of that

the biggest thing is consistency

if someone actually lives according to a religion, you can usually predict a lot about them before even knowing them properly

how they dress
what they eat
what they won't do
how they spend their time
who they associate with
what they believe is right/wrong

that consistency makes the person seem more grounded because their behaviour has an explanation behind it
compare that to someone who says they "don't really believe in anything" and just does whatever their friends are doing
one has an identity, the other just has preferences

community is probably even more important

religion gives you something that most people spend years trying to build independently: an established social network
you aren't just meeting random people at school/work and hoping you become friends. there are already families, communities, events, traditions and social expectations built around it
and being connected to a community also gives you social proof
if respected people already know you, vouch for you and include you, that carries over into how new people perceive you

there's also the discipline aspect

fasting is a good example
regardless of whether someone agrees with the religious reasoning behind it, voluntarily restricting yourself for a higher principle demonstrates delayed gratification
same with avoiding certain behaviours because they're considered sinful
modern people massively underestimate how much self-control affects someone's presence
someone who can actually tell themselves "no" tends to come across differently from someone who is completely ruled by whatever urge they have that day

and this is where people misunderstand status

status isn't just money or looks
a huge part of status is having something that other people recognise as valuable
religion can provide that through conviction, community, tradition and reputation
which is why historically religion has been tied to social structure basically everywhere
obviously none of this means you should start cosplaying as religious for status

if you're an atheist, pretending to have beliefs you don't have is probably one of the fastest ways to make yourself look fake once people know you properly
the actual lesson is that having principles + discipline + community + a coherent identity is socially powerful
religions just happen to have been refining that combination for a very long time

Spoiler: Studies

Aksoy & Wiertz (2024)
https://academic.oup.com/esr/article/40/1/143/7140383

Sosis & Bressler (2003)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1069397103037002003

Mogan, Fischer & Bulbulia (2017)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103116306114

Reddish et al. (2017)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18023-4

United on Sunday (2021)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0242546

tags:
@zaza @TrueIncel333 @fent @DirtbagTeenager @mtb.slayer-69 @Includings @Skull @edcell:TL

Our religion helps, dictate social interactions, and societal belief systems dependent on which nature from The, depending on what group are in my society, you can be frowned upon what religion you have or seen as a halo what you said is truth and regular accessible knowledge, but people don’t tend to pick up on religions and their societal effects just cause people either don’t bother to look any deeper or a bit more empty mind might have pre-existing belief systems based on a religion and sociological,framing and grooming

 

[ced]

Our religion helps, dictate social interactions, and societal belief systems dependent on which nature from The, depending on what group are in my society, you can be frowned upon what religion you have or seen as a halo what you said is truth and regular accessible knowledge, but people don’t tend to pick up on religions and their societal effects just cause people either don’t bother to look any deeper or a bit more empty mind might have pre-existing belief systems based on a religion and sociological,framing and grooming

my point was to make people js larp being religious lol

 

[Includings]

​

this isn't really about whether religion is true or not
i'm talking purely from a social perspective because religion is probably one of the strongest pre-built identities you can have
most people have basically no coherent identity outside of whatever they happen to be doing at the time. their personality changes depending on who they're around, they have no real principles and their lifestyle is just whatever gives them the most stimulation
religion is basically the opposite of that

the biggest thing is consistency

if someone actually lives according to a religion, you can usually predict a lot about them before even knowing them properly

how they dress
what they eat
what they won't do
how they spend their time
who they associate with
what they believe is right/wrong

that consistency makes the person seem more grounded because their behaviour has an explanation behind it
compare that to someone who says they "don't really believe in anything" and just does whatever their friends are doing
one has an identity, the other just has preferences

community is probably even more important

religion gives you something that most people spend years trying to build independently: an established social network
you aren't just meeting random people at school/work and hoping you become friends. there are already families, communities, events, traditions and social expectations built around it
and being connected to a community also gives you social proof
if respected people already know you, vouch for you and include you, that carries over into how new people perceive you

there's also the discipline aspect

fasting is a good example
regardless of whether someone agrees with the religious reasoning behind it, voluntarily restricting yourself for a higher principle demonstrates delayed gratification
same with avoiding certain behaviours because they're considered sinful
modern people massively underestimate how much self-control affects someone's presence
someone who can actually tell themselves "no" tends to come across differently from someone who is completely ruled by whatever urge they have that day

and this is where people misunderstand status

status isn't just money or looks
a huge part of status is having something that other people recognise as valuable
religion can provide that through conviction, community, tradition and reputation
which is why historically religion has been tied to social structure basically everywhere
obviously none of this means you should start cosplaying as religious for status

if you're an atheist, pretending to have beliefs you don't have is probably one of the fastest ways to make yourself look fake once people know you properly
the actual lesson is that having principles + discipline + community + a coherent identity is socially powerful
religions just happen to have been refining that combination for a very long time

Spoiler: Studies

Aksoy & Wiertz (2024)
https://academic.oup.com/esr/article/40/1/143/7140383

Sosis & Bressler (2003)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1069397103037002003

Mogan, Fischer & Bulbulia (2017)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103116306114

Reddish et al. (2017)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18023-4

United on Sunday (2021)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0242546

tags:
@zaza @TrueIncel333 @fent @DirtbagTeenager @mtb.slayer-69 @Includings @Skull @edcell:TL

Good thread, religion will only provide status to those in the same religion/circle. Unfortunately its whole idea is built on ideas not tangible to the person. So all of the persons convictions aren’t true to self and 9/10 don’t ever be held up completely. Everyone has preferences even to how strict they follow said religion, people I’ve noticed often have the most respect are those that actually uphold their morals/word even if it goes against them in the moment. Being able to admit ur wrong in situations is also a huge respect bonus among peers and will get u far, skimmed most of this as I’m sleepy and have work in 6 hours

 

[DirtbagTeenager]

my point was to make people js larp being religious lol

Yeah it’s how we build communities and like you said status max to a degree I mean cults are the best isolated example of what your talking about

 

[TrueIncel333]

im "muslim" i can confirm its a halo

yeah my father also tried making me a muslim but i honestly dont really believe in it