WILL STORR: How to play the status game (a fresh way to fix the world!)
Jun 6, 2023
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Will Storr, award-winning UK journalist and author, explores the concept of status games and their influence on human behavior. They discuss selfie culture, the role of status in shaping behavior, the connection between social class and health, and the paradox of high-status individuals. The guest also talks about the power of personal stories and the push-pull between individualism and belonging.
Understanding status games can help develop empathy and challenge toxic narratives in society.
Status games are not limited to wealth and fame, but can be pursued through dominance, virtue, and competence in various communities.
Social media has intensified our obsession with status games, leading to a deeper desire for recognition and validation on a global scale.
Deep dives
Understanding the Role of Status Games
The podcast explores the idea that humans are constantly engaged in status games, which shape our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. The brain's natural tendency to prioritize heroes and villains in these games can lead to toxic narratives and a distorted perception of reality. By becoming conscious of the status games we play, we can develop empathy and rise above the harmful storylines. Understanding that status is a universal human currency, sought after for its link to prestige, respect, and admiration, helps shed light on our desire for status in modern times. While the lines of status have shifted, our quest for its attainment may be stronger than ever.
Status Games in Various Arenas
The podcast emphasizes that status games are not limited to wealth and fame. Humans have a remarkable ability to compete for status using various means, including dominance, reputation through virtue, and reputation through competence. Status can be sought within different tribes or groups, and each group defines status based on their own rules. This flexibility allows individuals to find their place in the hierarchy by excelling in the specific status games of their chosen communities.
The Impact of Social Media and Culture
The podcast highlights how social media has intensified our obsession with status games. The ability to compete for status has expanded to a global scale, as individuals vie for attention, recognition, and validation on platforms like Instagram. This constant exposure to others' success and social comparison triggers a deeper need for recognition and fuels an ever-increasing desire for status. Additionally, culture plays a significant role in shaping our perceptions of status. Cultural norms and the operating system of our brain influence our worldview, self-image, and desired status.
The Dark Side of Status and Humiliation
The podcast explores the darker aspects of status games, particularly the danger of humiliation and the emergence of violence. Humiliation can trigger extreme reactions, leading some individuals, particularly humiliated males, to resort to violence as a means of reclaiming their lost status. Historical examples such as the rise of the Nazi party in Germany and contemporary instances of gun violence indicate how status games gone wrong can have catastrophic consequences.
The Book's Potential Impact and Future Inquiries
The podcast discusses the potential impact of understanding status games for individuals and society at large. By recognizing the role of status games, we can foster empathy, challenge toxic narratives, and work towards a more inclusive and equitable society. The book's author provides insights into the mental and physical health implications of status, emphasizing the importance of multiple status games and finding a balance. Future inquiries focus on exploring the significance of narratives in our lives, understanding how stories shape our experiences, and finding ways to navigate the complexities of status in a rapidly changing world.
Will Storr (award-winning UK journalist and author) writes about humans in fun ways, and goes to lengths to do this, including joining holocaust denier David Irving (undercover) on holiday. His books The Heretics, and Selfie, are about how self-obsession changed the culture.
Will's latest book is The Status Game and it argues that “Everyone alive is playing a game whose hidden rules are built into us and that silently directs our thoughts, beliefs and actions. This game is inside us. It is us.” Will chats through how his thesis can explain the rise of Nazi Germany, how the world might deal with dangerous humiliated men (Putin, Trump, gun massacrists) and how it can produce more empathy in the world.
I mention my WILD episode with Mary Ann Sieghart, author of The Authority Gap which you can listen to here.