Privilege is bad grammar

Bad grammar as status / countersignalling

• Many see sloppy executive emails as textbook countersignalling: like powerful people wearing ratty clothes, bad grammar shows they’re “above” rules others must follow.
• In tech, casual dress and terse, typo-filled replies can mark higher status, while suits and over-formality often signal middle management or sales.
• Others push back: in their workplaces, leaders do write correctly; or bad grammar just feels like garden‑variety laziness, not a conscious flex.

Privilege, power, and double standards

• “Privilege” is framed as the ability to get away with sloppiness with no career risk, unlike juniors who fear being judged as careless or uneducated.
• Several note a clear asymmetry: bosses write casually downward but formally upward; subordinates are expected to maintain polish regardless.
• Some argue this is mostly confidence and time-pressure rather than oppression; others stress that the double standard itself is the privilege.

Signalling theory and appearance

• Long subthread on signalling: you can’t “not signal”; dress, tone, and grammar always convey information, intentionally or not.
• Debate over whether dressing or writing casually is genuine comfort, strategic countersignalling, or just observers projecting status narratives.
• Examples span wealthy people in worn clothes, homeless vs rich “slobs,” airport dress codes, and how attire reliably shapes treatment and opportunities.

AI, authenticity, and language as class marker

• With AI polishing freely available, good grammar is seen by some as a weaker signal of education; imperfections now sometimes read as “more human.”
• Others note AI can also fake typos and informality, so that authenticity signal is already being counterfeited.
• Several connect grammar norms to class and power: prescriptive standards both enable clarity and function as gatekeeping; non‑native speakers often over‑invest in correctness while natives are lax.

Efficiency vs respect

• Many executives reportedly prioritize speed: one‑word answers, phone-typed replies, minimal editing to avoid becoming a bottleneck.
• Critics argue brevity doesn’t require mangled grammar and that clean writing shows respect for readers’ time and comprehension.
• Others see informal tone as a courtesy and trust signal—treating you as an insider rather than a supplicant—and view obsessing over polish as counterproductive.