15 definitions by Human Peacocking

The greater the status, the greater the liklihood of norm violation
John is demonstrating following the peacock's law by walking into his office in T-shirt and sandals while all his employees have to be in a suit
by Human Peacocking May 29, 2023
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To brag, highlight, or bring attention to something that is stigmatized, lowly, common, or otherwise commonly unworthy of popular status. Examples include bragging about failures, past trauma, illnessed, hardships, etc.
There goes that super rich politician stigma bragging about how hard his childhood was in order to get further attention & sympathy.
by Human Peacocking May 12, 2023
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A person who pretends to have credentials or background experience or a pedigree that they don't actually have. For example, they did a month course at Harvard and put 'Harvard graduate' on their profiles. Technically this is true, but the audience assumes a broader pedigree than the person actually has.
Tom's resume was selected because he's was pedigree mimicing and included that week harvard class in his resume.
by Human Peacocking July 7, 2023
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To publicly celebrate, highlight, brag about how one (or one's group) was victimized by others.

The greater the harm to the victim, the more notable the brag. The more perpetrators who did the harm, the more notable the brag.
There's john victim bragging again about how his teachers in high school wronged him by giving him tests that were too hard!
by Human Peacocking May 20, 2023
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When a high status person conspicuously eats at a lowly or common establishment with lots of media watching in order to get public attention for being a "man/woman of the people" and close to the popular masses.

It's a form of false humility
Trump is pulling the McDonalds maneuver on his airplane again with a g6 full of bigmacs
by Human Peacocking April 12, 2023
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To brag, highlight, or bring attention to hardship that one has experienced. Examples include highlighting one's experience of poverty, illness, abuse, or adversity

These types of brags get attention for higher status signalers and dismissal for low status ones
There's the head of that bank trauma bragging about his illness in order to get more clout in the newspaper headlines
by Human Peacocking June 10, 2023
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The first rule of peacocking is : don't tell the audience what it already knows.

This 'rule' refers to a maxim in social science literature that a person/thing trying to show status should not be repetitive / redundant and give the audience what they already know would happen.
John just violated the First Rule of Peacocking when giving his acceptance speech! he acted like no one knew why they were all there when he told them again about his achievements.
by Human Peacocking June 11, 2023
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