Silver Fox and Argyle Socks

In 1959, a group of Russian scientists began to selectively breed
silver foxes based on a single criterion, docility towards humans.
Within several generations, the temperament of the foxes switched from
being aggressive and fearful to tame and almost endearing. Oddly
enough, while selecting only for one trait, other visible traits
emerged ubiquitously among the newly docile populations: floppy ears,
curved tails, and lightly colored fur. Unexpectedly, the changes in
comportment correlated with widely shared, physical changes. One
thing I have noticed during my 9 weeks in China is the high density of
argyle sock wearing males among the Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). In
a non-selective sampling of American males, maybe 1 out of 30 men
might report to be regular argyle wearers (more than 3 pairs per
week), whereas among male PCVs, this proportion is closer to 1 out of
every 5. The figure is even more notable when measuring for wearers
of eccentrically patterned socks, where PCVs put up figures closer to
1 out of 3. I am not arguing for causation, i.e. wearing argyle socks
compels one to join the Peace Corps or vice-versa, I am merely taking
this chance to expose the correlation between selecting for one
characteristic, namely desire to be a PCV, and the corresponding
fashion sense. As a habitual argyle wearer myself (more than 5 pairs
per week), I am delighted to be in the company of so many like-minded
individuals with a taste for haute couture.