Seems like a useful tool for a cynical observer is: “When you see a person X saying/doing something to a person Y, think about whether it would make sense to describe this interaction as a signal being sent from X to some third party Z. (Even in cases when there is no such person Z present. Sometimes people signals to themselves.)”
For example, my actions may be inefficient to stop you from breaking social norms, but that’s okay, because the purpose is to signal to outsiders that I am not the kind of person who breaks social norms.
Seems like a useful tool for a cynical observer is: “When you see a person X saying/doing something to a person Y, think about whether it would make sense to describe this interaction as a signal being sent from X to some third party Z. (Even in cases when there is no such person Z present. Sometimes people signals to themselves.)”
For example, my actions may be inefficient to stop you from breaking social norms, but that’s okay, because the purpose is to signal to outsiders that I am not the kind of person who breaks social norms.