signaling - conspicuous conservation

Yesterday we spent some time talking about signaling - the idea that the products we buy are often as much about their functionality as they are about how they make us look to other people.

One of my all time favorite podcasts on this subject is from Freakonomics here: http://freakonomics.com/2011/07/07/hey-baby-is-that-a-prius-you're-driving/