Every thing is weighed in the scale, and desired, not so much for the pleasure they afford, as the attention they command.

From The Works of John Adams, vol. 6.  Emphasis added.

There is in human nature, it is true, simple Benevolence, or an affection for the good of others; but alone it is not a balance for the selfish affections. Nature then has kindly added to benevolence, the desire of reputation, in order to make us good members of society. Spectemur agendo expresses the great principle of activity for the good of others. Nature has sanctioned the law of self-preservation by rewards and punishments. The rewards of selfish activity are life and health; the punishments of negligence and indolence are want, disease, and death. Each individual, it is true, should consider, that nature has enjoined the same law on his neighbor, and therefore a respect for the authority of nature would oblige him to respect the rights of others as much as his own. But reasoning as abstruse, though as simple as this, would not occur to all men. 

The same nature therefore has imposed another law, that of promoting the good, as well as respecting the rights of mankind, and has sanctioned it by other rewards and punishments. The rewards in this case, in this life, are esteem and admiration of others; the punishments are neglect and contempt; nor may any one imagine that these are not as real as the others. The desire of the esteem of others is as real a want of nature as hunger; and the neglect and contempt of the world as severe a pain as the gout or stone. It sooner and oftener produces despair, and a detestation of existence; of equal importance to individuals, to families, and to nations. It is a principal end of government to regulate this passion, which in its turn becomes a principal means of government. It is the only adequate instrument of order and subordination in society, and alone commands effectual obedience to laws, since without it neither human reason, nor standing armies, would ever produce that great effect. Every personal quality, and every blessing of fortune, is cherished in proportion to its capacity of gratifying this universal affection for the esteem, the sympathy, admiration and congratulations of the public. Beauty in the face, elegance of figure,  grace of attitude and motion, riches, honors, every thing is weighed in the scale, and desired, not so much for the pleasure they afford, as the attention they command. As this is a point of great importance, it may be pardonable to expatiate a little upon these particulars.

It is often claimed we live in an attention economy, status and commercial success depending on the capacity to command attention.  This is often interpreted as and measured as clicks, likes, engagement, views, etc.  And looked at from the right angle, attention can look like respect.  It is easy to confuse the two when using crude proxies as measures.

We are still feeling our way forward.  Attention economy - yes, there is probably something in that but we haven't defined it very well nor do we understand the connection between attention and respect.  The measures just listed are almost certainly inadequate and misleading, but like the drunk searching under the lamp light because that is the only place he can see, we don't have better measures that will make things clearer.

It is often said that much of what is characterized as partisan polarization is really a mask for societal class unease and I think there is merit in that argument.  A virtual and digital world is disorienting.  Both astonishing affluence and new technology are taking us into arenas where we have no good history or analogs for effective or appropriate behavior; no established social norms against which to rank people.

I wonder if much of the class unease and status unease and professional unease all masquerading as partisan polarization and to some degree as popularism is simply the steady erosion of old verities by which we were confident of being able to orient ourselves and effect behaviors and activities which might elicit esteem and admiration.

How do you earn esteem and admiration without such verities?