-- I think that even there, it sort of starts out as an endeavor to signal to self “non-status-seekingness”. This is why I think that the “zen patriarchs” in the koan stories whoop the newbie wards and humble them initially to break down their status-seeking natures, so that they may move on to the next level of meditation where they are not competing and signaling to themselves (and other apprentices) that they are best at “not vainly scrounging to be the best”.
If we’re going to start describing private behaviour as “signalling to oneself”, then the signalling concept has been generalised to the point of vacuity.
If a behavior is described as “signaling to oneself” that means that the behavior in question will not in itself further the goal it is aimed at, but is meant to strengthen the part of your identity which makes you value that goal.
“Meditation”
-- I think that even there, it sort of starts out as an endeavor to signal to self “non-status-seekingness”. This is why I think that the “zen patriarchs” in the koan stories whoop the newbie wards and humble them initially to break down their status-seeking natures, so that they may move on to the next level of meditation where they are not competing and signaling to themselves (and other apprentices) that they are best at “not vainly scrounging to be the best”.
If we’re going to start describing private behaviour as “signalling to oneself”, then the signalling concept has been generalised to the point of vacuity.
If a behavior is described as “signaling to oneself” that means that the behavior in question will not in itself further the goal it is aimed at, but is meant to strengthen the part of your identity which makes you value that goal.