Comment by BlackFly

When did we as a society stop behaving like that? The scarlet letter was from 1800s, but at no time since then would I say that society suddenly realized that the designation of pariahs was problematic.

You talk about the color of your clothes as if people are someone enlightened about it, but the whole plot of American Psycho is essentially a lens on 1980s Yuppie culture where what you are wearing is more interesting and memorable to people than your name [and who you are]. Such attitudes persist in tech circles although flipped: wear an AC/DC t-shirt = one of us, show up in a 3 piece suit = outsider.

Absolutely, designating someone as different because of how they connect is enough to create a designation as an outsider. Almost by definition.