Originally Posted by
Jan Olieslagers
For illustration: I once met a private pilot who at the time flew his own SET, since replaced with a twin bizjet. Did he need to show off? It was obvious he was well above me, both pilotwise and budgetwise. His clothing was as casual as could be and so were his manners. It only adds to my respect for the chap. Yes, he was the captain - but did not need epaulettes to show so.
If you can afford a twinbiz you don't have to show any thing any longer, you did achieve already enough ... but, this guy can throw money at where others have to come through by wearing 4 bars.
In the OPs matter there is no black and white, it all depends on the situation. Flying a 10 mile long distance UK hop for a coffee wearing bars and shirt may be good for a Monty Python smile, but even in a C150 the 4 bars can save you hours and arrest in remote places.