Theexceptionsunderthisruleofexemptionfromthecorsetaremoreapparentthanreal。Theyarethewealthyclassesofcountrieswithalowerindustrialstructure——nearerthearchaic，quasi-industrialtype——togetherwiththelateraccessionsofthewealthyclassesinthemoreadvancedindustrialcommunities。Thelatterhavenotyethadtimetodivestthemselvesoftheplebeiancanonsoftasteandofreputabilitycarriedoverfromtheirformer，lowerpecuniarygrade。SuchsurvivalofthecorsetisnotinfrequentamongthehighersocialclassesofthoseAmericancities，forinstance，whichhaverecentlyandrapidlyrisenintoopulence。Ifthewordbeusedasatechnicalterm，withoutanyodiousimplication，itmaybesaidthatthecorsetpersistsingreatmeasurethroughtheperiodofsnobbery——theintervalofuncertaintyandoftransitionfromalowertotheupperlevelsofpecuniaryculture。Thatistosay，inallcountrieswhichhaveinheritedthecorsetitcontinuesinusewhereverandsolongasitservesitspurposeasanevidenceofhonorificleisurebyarguingphysicaldisabilityinthewearer。Thesameruleofcourseappliestoothermutilationsandcontrivancesfordecreasingthevisibleefficiencyoftheindividual。
Somethingsimilarshouldholdtruewithrespecttodiversitemsofconspicuousconsumption，andindeedsomethingofthekinddoesseemtoholdtoaslightdegreeofsundryfeaturesofdress，especiallyifsuchfeaturesinvolveamarkeddiscomfortorappearanceofdiscomforttothewearer。Duringthepastonehundredyearsthereisatendencyperceptible，inthedevelopmentofmen’sdressespecially，todiscontinuemethodsofexpenditureandtheuseofsymbolsofleisurewhichmusthavebeenirksome，whichmayhaveservedagoodpurposeintheirtime，butthecontinuationofwhichamongtheupperclassestodaywouldbeaworkofsupererogation；as，forinstance，theuseofpowderedwigsandofgoldlace，andthepracticeofconstantlyshavingtheface。Therehasoflateyearsbeensomeslightrecrudescenceoftheshavenfaceinpolitesociety，butthisisprobablyatransientandunadvisedmimicryofthefashionimposeduponbodyservants，anditmayfairlybeexpectedtogothewayofthepowderedwigofourgrandfathers。
Theseindicesandotherswhichresembletheminpointoftheboldnesswithwhichtheypointouttoallobserversthehabitualuselessnessofthosepersonswhoemploythem，havebeenreplacedbyother，morededicatemethodsofexpressingthesamefact；
methodswhicharenolessevidenttothetrainedeyesofthatsmaller，selectcirclewhosegoodopinionischieflysought。Theearlierandcrudermethodofadvertisementhelditsgroundsolongasthepublictowhichtheexhibitorhadtoappealcomprisedlargeportionsofthecommunitywhowerenottrainedtodetectdelicatevariationsintheevidencesofwealthandleisure。Themethodofadvertisementundergoesarefinementwhenasufficientlylargewealthyclasshasdeveloped，whohavetheleisureforacquiringskillininterpretingthesubtlersignsofexpenditure。“Loud“dressbecomesoffensivetopeopleoftaste，asevincinganunduedesiretoreachandimpresstheuntrainedsensibilitiesofthevulgar。Totheindividualofhighbreeding，itisonlythemorehonorificesteemaccordedbythecultivatedsenseofthemembersofhisownhighclassthatisofmaterialconsequence。Sincethewealthyleisureclasshasgrownsolarge，orthecontactoftheleisure-classindividualwithmembersofhisownclasshasgrownsowide，astoconstituteahumanenvironmentsufficientforthehonorificpurpose，therearisesatendencytoexcludethebaserelementsofthepopulationfromtheschemeevenasspectatorswhoseapplauseormortificationshouldbesought。Theresultofallthisisarefinementofmethods，aresorttosubtlercontrivances，andaspiritualizationoftheschemeofsymbolismindress。Andasthisupperleisureclasssetsthepaceinallmattersofdecency，theresultfortherestofsocietyalsoisagradualameliorationoftheschemeofdress。
Asthecommunityadvancesinwealthandculture，theabilitytopayisputinevidencebymeanswhichrequireaprogressivelynicerdiscriminationinthebeholder。Thisnicerdiscriminationbetweenadvertisingmediaisinfactaverylargeelementofthehigherpecuniaryculture。
ChapterEightIndustrialExemptionandConservatismThelifeofmaninsociety，justlikethelifeofotherspecies，isastruggleforexistence，andthereforeitisaprocessofselectiveadaptation。Theevolutionofsocialstructurehasbeenaprocessofnaturalselectionofinstitutions。Theprogresswhichhasbeenandisbeingmadeinhumaninstitutionsandinhumancharactermaybesetdown，broadly，toanaturalselectionofthefittesthabitsofthoughtandtoaprocessofenforcedadaptationofindividualstoanenvironmentwhichhasprogressivelychangedwiththegrowthofthecommunityandwiththechanginginstitutionsunderwhichmenhavelived。Institutionsarenotonlythemselvestheresultofaselectiveandadaptiveprocesswhichshapestheprevailingordominanttypesofspiritualattitudeandaptitudes；theyareatthesametimespecialmethodsoflifeandofhumanrelations，andarethereforeintheirturnefficientfactorsofselection。Sothatthechanginginstitutionsintheirturnmakeforafurtherselectionofindividualsendowedwiththefittesttemperament，andafurtheradaptationofindividualtemperamentandhabitstothechangingenvironmentthroughtheformationofnewinstitutions。
Theforceswhichhaveshapedthedevelopmentofhumanlifeandofsocialstructurearenodoubtultimatelyreducibletotermsoflivingtissueandmaterialenvironment；butproximatelyforthepurposeinhand，theseforcesmaybestbestatedintermsofanenvironment，partlyhuman，partlynon-human，andahumansubjectwithamoreorlessdefinitephysicalandintellectualconstitution。Takenintheaggregateoraverage，thishumansubjectismoreorlessvariable；chiefly，nodoubt，underaruleofselectiveconservationoffavorablevariations。Theselectionoffavorablevariationsisperhapsingreatmeasureaselectiveconservationofethnictypes。Inthelifehistoryofanycommunitywhosepopulationismadeupofamixtureofdiversethnicelements，oneoranotherofseveralpersistentandrelativelystabletypesofbodyandoftemperamentrisesintodominanceatanygivenpoint。Thesituation，includingtheinstitutionsinforceatanygiventime，willfavorthesurvivalanddominanceofonetypeofcharacterinpreferencetoanother；
andthetypeofmansoselectedtocontinueandtofurtherelaboratetheinstitutionshandeddownfromthepastwillinsomeconsiderablemeasureshapetheseinstitutionsinhisownlikeness。Butapartfromselectionasbetweenrelativelystabletypesofcharacterandhabitsofmind，thereisnodoubtsimultaneouslygoingonaprocessofselectiveadaptationofhabitsofthoughtwithinthegeneralrangeofaptitudeswhichischaracteristicofthedominantethnictypeortypes。Theremaybeavariationinthefundamentalcharacterofanypopulationbyselectionbetweenrelativelystabletypes；butthereisalsoavariationduetoadaptationindetailwithintherangeofthetype，andtoselectionbetweenspecifichabitualviewsregardinganygivensocialrelationorgroupofrelations。
Forthepresentpurpose，however，thequestionastothenatureoftheadaptiveprocess——whetheritischieflyaselectionbetweenstabletypesoftemperamentandcharacter，orchieflyanadaptationofmen’shabitsofthoughttochangingcircumstances——isoflessimportancethanthefactthat，byonemethodoranother，institutionschangeanddevelop。Institutionsmustchangewithchangingcircumstances，sincetheyareofthenatureofanhabitualmethodofrespondingtothestimuliwhichthesechangingcircumstancesafford。Thedevelopmentoftheseinstitutionsisthedevelopmentofsociety。Theinstitutionsare，insubstance，prevalenthabitsofthoughtwithrespecttoparticularrelationsandparticularfunctionsoftheindividualandofthecommunity；andtheschemeoflife，whichismadeupoftheaggregateofinstitutionsinforceatagiventimeoratagivenpointinthedevelopmentofanysociety，may，onthepsychologicalside，bebroadlycharacterizedasaprevalentspiritualattitudeoraprevalenttheoryoflife。Asregardsitsgenericfeatures，thisspiritualattitudeortheoryoflifeisinthelastanalysisreducibletotermsofaprevalenttypeofcharacter。
Thesituationoftodayshapestheinstitutionsoftomorrowthroughaselective，coerciveprocess，byactinguponmen’shabitualviewofthings，andsoalteringorfortifyingapointofvieworamentalattitudebandeddownfromthepast。Theinstitutions——thatistosaythehabitsofthought——undertheguidanceofwhichmenliveareinthiswayreceivedfromanearliertime；moreorlessremotelyearlier，butinanyeventtheyhavebeenelaboratedinandreceivedfromthepast。
Institutionsareproductsofthepastprocess，areadaptedtopastcircumstances，andarethereforeneverinfullaccordwiththerequirementsofthepresent。Inthenatureofthecase，thisprocessofselectiveadaptationcannevercatchupwiththeprogressivelychangingsituationinwhichthecommunityfindsitselfatanygiventime；fortheenvironment，thesituation，theexigenciesoflifewhichenforcetheadaptationandexercisetheselection，changefromdaytoday；andeachsuccessivesituationofthecommunityinitsturntendstoobsolescenceassoonasithasbeenestablished。Whenastepinthedevelopmenthasbeentaken，thisstepitselfconstitutesachangeofsituationwhichrequiresanewadaptation；itbecomesthepointofdepartureforanewstepintheadjustment，andsooninterminably。
Itistobenotedthen，althoughitmaybeatedioustruism，thattheinstitutionsoftoday——thepresentacceptedschemeoflife——donotentirelyfitthesituationoftoday。Atthesametime，men’spresenthabitsofthoughttendtopersistindefinitely，exceptascircumstancesenforceachange。Theseinstitutionswhichhavethusbeenhandeddown，thesehabitsofthought，pointsofview，mentalattitudesandaptitudes，orwhatnot，arethereforethemselvesaconservativefactor。Thisisthefactorofsocialinertia，psychologicalinertia，conservatism。
Socialstructurechanges，develops，adaptsitselftoanalteredsituation，onlythroughachangeinthehabitsofthoughtoftheseveralclassesofthecommunity，orinthelastanalysis，throughachangeinthehabitsofthoughtoftheindividualswhichmakeupthecommunity。Theevolutionofsocietyissubstantiallyaprocessofmentaladaptationonthepartofindividualsunderthestressofcircumstanceswhichwillnolongertoleratehabitsofthoughtformedunderandconformingtoadifferentsetofcircumstancesinthepast。Fortheimmediatepurposeitneednotbeaquestionofseriousimportancewhetherthisadaptiveprocessisaprocessofselectionandsurvivalofpersistentethnictypesoraprocessofindividualadaptationandaninheritanceofacquiredtraits。
Socialadvance，especiallyasseenfromthepointofviewofeconomictheory，consistsinacontinuedprogressiveapproachtoanapproximatelyexact“adjustmentofinnerrelationstoouterrelations“，butthisadjustmentisneverdefinitivelyestablished，sincethe“outerrelations“aresubjecttoconstantchangeasaconsequenceoftheprogressivechangegoingoninthe“innerrelations。“Butthedegreeofapproximationmaybegreaterorless，dependingonthefacilitywithwhichanadjustmentismade。Areadjustmentofmen’shabitsofthoughttoconformwiththeexigenciesofanalteredsituationisinanycasemadeonlytardilyandreluctantly，andonlyunderthecoercionexercisedbyastipulationwhichhasmadetheaccreditedviewsuntenable。Thereadjustmentofinstitutionsandhabitualviewstoanalteredenvironmentismadeinresponsetopressurefromwithout；itisofthenatureofaresponsetostimulus。
Freedomandfacilityofreadjustment，thatistosaycapacityforgrowthinsocialstructure，thereforedependsingreatmeasureonthedegreeoffreedomwithwhichthesituationatanygiventimeactsontheindividualmembersofthecommunity-thedegreeofexposureoftheindividualmemberstotheconstrainingforcesoftheenvironment。Ifanyportionorclassofsocietyisshelteredfromtheactionoftheenvironmentinanyessentialrespect，thatportionofthecommunity，orthatclass，willadaptitsviewsanditsschemeoflifemoretardilytothealteredgeneralsituation；
itwillinsofartendtoretardtheprocessofsocialtransformation。Thewealthyleisureclassisinsuchashelteredpositionwithrespecttotheeconomicforcesthatmakeforchangeandreadjustment。Anditmaybesaidthattheforceswhichmakeforareadjustmentofinstitutions，especiallyinthecaseofamodernindustrialcommunity，are，inthelastanalysis，almostentirelyofaneconomicnature。
