What if you can see all the colors in equal measure, which is standard for my time?
Well sure. If you're a society based on class, then you have to maintain that structure and the only way to do that is to find objective values that can't be controlled by force of will as a measure of worth in the society. Beyond that, marriage means joining those objective values and it will be continually used as a point of comparison. Everyone--okay, well, not everyone, but the vast majority of people--will want a higher status because it means greater access to resources and less pressure to strictly follow the social norms of that particular culture. If you have nothing to offer, there's no reason for a higher society girl to accept you.
Unless you're trying to get into a philosophical debate of whether the class system actually works, but I think people are inherently drawn to levels of status in order to gain a sense of confidence and productivity which is necessary to survival. If everyone was equal, people wouldn't have that evolutionary imperative kicking in and, if people were judged on something subjective or that could be achieved just by trying, then no one would be able to agree on it or the ratio of elite to common would fall and the entire system would crumble.
Filter
Well sure. If you're a society based on class, then you have to maintain that structure and the only way to do that is to find objective values that can't be controlled by force of will as a measure of worth in the society. Beyond that, marriage means joining those objective values and it will be continually used as a point of comparison. Everyone--okay, well, not everyone, but the vast majority of people--will want a higher status because it means greater access to resources and less pressure to strictly follow the social norms of that particular culture. If you have nothing to offer, there's no reason for a higher society girl to accept you.
Unless you're trying to get into a philosophical debate of whether the class system actually works, but I think people are inherently drawn to levels of status in order to gain a sense of confidence and productivity which is necessary to survival. If everyone was equal, people wouldn't have that evolutionary imperative kicking in and, if people were judged on something subjective or that could be achieved just by trying, then no one would be able to agree on it or the ratio of elite to common would fall and the entire system would crumble.