A and C
Nobody mentioned the South American General look until you. Read the post. We're only talking about stripes, not the full suit dripping with woven braid, bird poo on the hat and shoulders etc.
Fokjok
Without someone to teach people like your esteemed self there would be no pilots and no jobs, real or otherwise.
GoodGuy, In-Cog-neeto, Checkboard, Azzie
I agree! Without us there would be no flying, only bus and train driving. We create the chance for anyone in the world to come and enjoy the art of flying. As a first step towards this enjoyment, the prospective artist needs to know they are in a safe place. What better way then to impress the new flyer than to say "I've passed the same exams as a commercial airline co-pilot, and because I regularly teach this stuff, I probably know it better than they do. If there is any place to be that is safer than with me, or that can teach you better then let them show themselves".
Part of the flying experience IMHO is knowing that your Instructor can always bring something new into your flying. If we can we do, so why hide our qualification? We need to make people aware of how good we are so that they keep flying. NOT BECAUSE (A and C) we need to part the punters from their cash, or because (Kalik) we lack confidence in our own abilities. Rather it is because we DO have the confidence that we can (at least some of us can) say non-verbally "learn with me and you will enjoy this because I know what I am doing". Sure, the ability, competence and integrity are valuable but I don't think they are a good place to start because you need to spend some time with people to know whether they possess these qualities.
ppr
Lawyers do have uniforms, they're called suits. Would you trust a lawyer if you walked into an office where tidy clothes or not didn't seem to matter? Or an accountant? Or a doctor? Just because it isn't "scrambled eggs and braid" doesn't mean it's not a uniform. There are certain expectations in society and one is that a pilot with a valid commercial license will have some sign of rank. See the comments from WWW.
If you don't want to put your occupation in your profile, who are you to criticise the rest of us about self-worth? Don't you feel secure of what you are doing, or are you not even doing it any more?
FWIW, I had a bigger stripe when I was a student than I do now. The difference is the colour - it was a thick blue one (as an intake identifier) when I was learning, now I've got two thin gold ones.
If you can read this, thank a teacher!
Safe flying