Making Sense with Sam Harris cover image

Making Sense with Sam Harris

#294 — Status Games

Aug 31, 2022
Will Storr, an award-winning writer featured in The Guardian and The New Yorker, delves into the fascinating realm of status and its pivotal role in human dynamics. He explores the taboo surrounding status, our intrinsic quest for social connection, and the complexities of navigating multiple status games. They discuss how status influences identity, success, and even health, as well as its ramifications in social media and politics. Storr also addresses the psychological struggles of belief systems and the consequences of humiliation in our status-driven lives.
40:27

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Status influences various aspects of identity, social connection, dominance, virtue, and success.
  • Engagement in positive status games contributes to emotional stability and well-being through diverse sources of status.

Deep dives

Understanding the Role of Status in Human Life and Culture

Status plays a significant role in human life and culture, influencing various aspects of identity, social connection, dominance, virtue, and success. Multiple status games are played simultaneously within different groups, impacting individual perception and behavior. Gossip, status, and health, as well as the consequences of humiliation, also contribute to the complex dynamics of status within society.

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