We all know Clique is genotype and phenotype and immutable. Imagine Clique as the type of clay from which you are formed. Clique is the material of who you are.

Lane, on the other hand, is what you do with the Clique you are given. If Clique is the clay, Lane represents the shape. Not every shape can be made with every type of clay and not every Lane can be achieved by every Clique or sub-clique, but while Clique is decided at birth, Lane is developed over time and, in my view, can be altered.

To give some examples:

We all know there are various forms of the Loser Clique. Ascended Loser, High Loser, and Low Loser. These represent different lanes within the Loser clique. A Loser who works hard and applies himself can become a high Loser, while one who develops a drug habit and no skills will be condemned to the low Lane. It's not quite as simple as high, low, and Ascended, but that construct is a useful way to start to think about Lane.

I'll use myself as an example. I am Loser clique but I attended peer schools, work for a peer law firm, and have make 160k plus bonus. This does not mean I am a High Loser (nobody who has to grind like a bitch as much as a big law associate can really be a high form of their Clique) but it puts me in a different Lane from the guy who dropped out of college at 19 and has been playing World of Warcraft since then. My social circle is different, my modes of expression are different, and if I had time and were remotely attractive to women my expectations of dating would be different. The differences between us are defined by Lane. Things like height, race, media preferences and the like can also influence Lane.

Lanes are constrained by Clique but can also overlap them. Thus a jock can mate with a scumbag if their Lanes overlap. Likewise a High Loser can occasionally mate with a Low Prep or a Nerd through Lane overlap. The same is true for inter-clique friendships. A Nerd with Loser tendencies can be true friends with a Loser with nerd tendencies if their Lanes overlap even though their Cliques do not.

Because Lane is mutable the true meaning of life is to optimize your Lane given your Clique and other characteristics. If you are a Loser, strive to be a High Loser and share some Lane space with Nerds and Preps. If you are a Scumbag, strive to get a Lane that overlaps with the Jock Clique. For Preps the goal is to have a Lane that intersects with the cream of society.

When you are told to “Stay in Your Lane” what you're being told is that given the current constraints of your Lane you should not try to do something that ventures beyond them. If you are in a mid-level Loser Lane do not attempt to date a Prep Woman. It can only go badly. Do not apply for Prep jobs or try to wear Prep clothes. You will rub against the barriers of your lane and be injured. If you want those things you need to try to move your Lane so that it intersects with the objects of your desire. Unfortunately some Lane intersections are nearly impossible to achieve. A 5'4" Loser will never have the NBA within his Lane nor the 6' model type. A Scumbag can never move his Lane far enough to win a Nobel Prize. Nonetheless Lane flexibility is a burgeoning field of study in Clique Theory and a very important one in trying to build a guide to living the best life possible given your Clique limitations.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4626904&forum_id=2#40939173)