[anextio]

> nor are we driven by some need to display this disinterest as some kind of marker of class rank or intellectual superiority.

Not to disagree with you, but I was under the impression that most research on social signaling has shown that it is not a conscious phenomenon.

You don't do X because you think it will signal Y. You just do X, whether because of unconscious social signals you have received or because the information that X might signal Y is contained in the genome rather than in the brain.

Can anyone clarify?

[lg]

I think you'd need some reason to believe people are unconsciously signaling it. The author seems to be quite conscious of his own signaling. Personally I was never into watching sports, even as a little kid when I don't think I was doing much intellectual posturing. Probably it's because my parents didn't make a big deal about it whereas it was a big part of family bonding for other kids.

[stephenboyd]

The reason can be as simple as identifying with others who aren't into sports. People take on the interests and values of the people they identify with, whether they realize it or not.