That's why I distinguished between apathy and indifference. Apathy is an abnormal indifference.

At this point we probably need to find a common definitional basis.

Merriam-Webster:

A-pathy, from pathos (emotion), "without feeling".

1. lack of feeling or emotion: impassiveness

2. lack of interest or concern: indifference

Example: "People have shown a surprising apathy towards these problems."

Neither does wiktionary imply anything generally abnormal about apathy, their example from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein:

I opened it with apathy; the theory which he attempts to demonstrate and the wonderful facts which he relates soon changed this feeling into enthusiasm.

Notice how apathy is not automatically a descriptor of a universal stance relating to everything, but as in the above examples, can be limited in scope to certain issues. As did I.

If you started out by defining apathy as necessarily "abnormal", of course it would follow that it is necessarily abnormal, but that would be nothing but circular reasoning. Also, using non-standard definitions should be pointed out lest it cause confusion.

Now to my original comment:

I wouldn't call relative apathy about status signalling a "deeper problem", on the contrary, I'd call it a virtue.

How is your "apathetic about food" relevant to "apathetic about status signalling"? My statement was limited to the latter. I'm not extolling the general virtue of apathy, stoicism, or anorexia?

So, Kawoomba, what is your concern here? What's important about this topic?

Your cognitive resources are limited. So is your lifespan. So are mine. I find it virtuous not to waste either in vast proportions on tribal hierarchy squabbles.

With the rampant obsession about status signalling, dress codes, formulaic conversations, I find it of importance not to call apathy about social status a deeper problem, nor an indicator of one (the original "may be" did not qualify that claim, as I explained).

Calling it a "deeper problem" I'd straight out object. Calling it an indicator of a deeper problem is a skewed perspective if it can also be an indicator for a perceived virtue.

I'm not advocating torn pants here (which in Western civilization are often worn for signalling reasons, alas), but a (to me) more sensible (and productive!) freeing up of some resources by being relatively more apathetic concerning that topic.