Rory Sutherland

And The Mating Mind and Spent, two books I think you really should read because they're extremely good.

A third book by my compatriot Will Storr, The Status Game, which you must know.

Have you ever read it?

Fantastic.

I've heard of it.

And I have to admit, the only caveat I give to reading these books, a bit like reading

the selfish gene is when you read them, you are at, you know, if you're someone of any kind of sensitivity, you are at risk of experiencing depressive episodes after reading them because not because they're not true, but because they are.

And you go, God, you know, am I really that shallow?

You know, I do things because they feel good.

I explain why I do them.

But deep down, the evolutionary and emotional reason I'm doing these things is really to show off.

or to establish, you know, some sort of one-upmanship or status.

It's kind of complicated.

Do I buy one piece of conspicuous consumption, as is argued by various people like Lord Layard in the UK?

Do I make my neighbors less happy if I buy a newer, better car?

Because what I've done is I've changed their comparative frame, and therefore my pleasure comes at the expense of theirs.

Now, that's not – I don't think that's totally simple.

I think if you were a real car obsessive and your next-door neighbor bought a Ferrari, you'd actually be delighted because you could go out and talk about torque vectoring and adaptive air suspension or whatever it may be, okay, or the normally aspirated V12.

And you'd probably be made happier by that purchase.

So I don't think it's absolutely simple.