The word 'signalling' is often used in Less Wrong, and often
used wrongly. This post is intended to call out our community on
its wrongful use, as well as serve as an introduction to the
correct concept of signalling as contrast. "We choose to go to
the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the
other things, not because they are easy, but because they are
hard.." - John F. Kennedy Why do peacocks grow such large,
conspicuous tails? Why do people take degrees in subjects like
Philosophy or Classics, despite these subjects having no obvious
practical value? Why do people take pains to avoid splitting
infinitives, even though everyone can understand split
infinitives perfectly well? These activities seem completely
pointless, costly and difficult. Paradoxically, it is probably
this very difficulty that serves to explain why they are done at
all. Take the peacock’s tail. A peacock that has to struggle to
survive while dragging around a conspicuous tail is clearly at a
disadvantage. But if he can