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What do the following things have in common? The fact that large, carnivorous fish desist from eating useful fish such as wrasse, which clean the parasites from their bodies The posh rope-handled carrier bags you get when you spend an appreciable amount of money on clothes or cosmetics The free extra scoop of fries they give you at Five Guys The fortune spent on a wedding Your modest minibar charges that are waived by a hotel The marble and oak lavishly used in bank branches That fancy training course your company sent you on A lavish advertising campaign A free glass of limoncello given to you by a restaurant after your meal Investment in a brand ... All these things only make sense if we assume that some signalling is going on - they are examples of a behaviour which is costly in the short term and which will only pay off, if at all, in the long term. They are thus - if nothing else - reliable signals that the person, animal or business engaging in that behaviour is acting on the basis of long-term self-interest rather than short-term expediency.