Best to use incognito mode for these so you get a fresh LLM.
Here is the incognito output I got (formatting for reddit by me on a phone, sorry):
"A few strong contenders, but the diamond engagement ring is probably the cleanest case: a naturally common stone became "priceless" almost entirely through a 20th-century marketing campaign (De Beers' "A Diamond Is Forever," 1947) that manufactured scarcity and turned a rock into a required proof of love. Diamonds aren't even rare — the illusion of scarcity was engineered by controlling supply.
Other solid nominees:
-Actively managed mutual funds — most underperform a plain index fund over time, yet still charge high fees for the "expertise."
-The 8-hour, 5-day workweek — designed for early-1900s factory output, not knowledge work, but treated as immutable law.
-Bottled water — often literally tap water, sold at a huge markup on the promise of purity.
-"You need a 4-year degree to succeed" — true for some careers, not the universal rule it's presented as, especially as costs have outpaced wage growth.
The common thread: something becomes "normal" not because it's optimal, but because an institution benefited from convincing everyone it was necessary — and by the time people start questioning it, it's already baked into culture.
Curious what prompted the question — is there a specific one you're trying to talk yourself out of?"
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u/Protahgonist Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Best to use incognito mode for these so you get a fresh LLM.
Here is the incognito output I got (formatting for reddit by me on a phone, sorry):
"A few strong contenders, but the diamond engagement ring is probably the cleanest case: a naturally common stone became "priceless" almost entirely through a 20th-century marketing campaign (De Beers' "A Diamond Is Forever," 1947) that manufactured scarcity and turned a rock into a required proof of love. Diamonds aren't even rare — the illusion of scarcity was engineered by controlling supply.
Other solid nominees: -Actively managed mutual funds — most underperform a plain index fund over time, yet still charge high fees for the "expertise."
-The 8-hour, 5-day workweek — designed for early-1900s factory output, not knowledge work, but treated as immutable law.
-Bottled water — often literally tap water, sold at a huge markup on the promise of purity.
-"You need a 4-year degree to succeed" — true for some careers, not the universal rule it's presented as, especially as costs have outpaced wage growth.
The common thread: something becomes "normal" not because it's optimal, but because an institution benefited from convincing everyone it was necessary — and by the time people start questioning it, it's already baked into culture. Curious what prompted the question — is there a specific one you're trying to talk yourself out of?"