system
A chat on subreddit /r/me_irl
human
It's all social conditioning and marketing. Artifical scarcity just let's them get away with giving you a tiny pebble. If diamonds were cheaper then I believe that people would spend the same amounts on engagement rings by buying rings with bigger stones or multiple stones.

People buy diamonds **because** they are expensive. It's a status symbol and a way for men to demonstrate value by showing he can afford expensive jewelry. The high price is part of the appeal. Much like Rolex watches or Italian handbags.
gpt
I find it so sad that people are willing to buy things literally just because it's expensive and shows other people how much money they can waste.. like, can't we do some social conditioning to make these idiots spend their money on good things like charity?