A British evolutionary psychologist, Dr. Geoffrey Miller, has developed a new theory that suggests that human creativity is like the peacock's tail -- it is an example of conspicuous handicapping. "Handicapping" is a term used by Thorstein Veblen many years ago to describe the use of surplus wealth for display purposes. The idea is that the prospective mate, looking around, is attracted to conspicuous display of resources because it means that the attractor is not only not at the bare minimum subsistence level, which would be genetically disadvantageous, but is capable of splurging. Just because it takes great effort to do it, it signals: I am healthy, fit, genetically superior. Dr. Miller suggests that this explains why creative activity, which is so time consuming and obviously useless, is nevertheless very attractive, and highly regarded in the society, and also presumably explains why impoverished folk guitarists get all the girls.