The Gray Area with Sean Illing What's your status?
Oct 4, 2021
Will Storr, a UK journalist and author of "The Status Game," delves into the captivating world of status competition. He discusses how our relentless pursuit for status is hardwired into human behavior, influenced by evolution and societal structures. Storr highlights the double-edged sword of social media, which amplifies these impulses, sometimes leading to dangerous outcomes. He also explores how status dynamics manifest in modern capitalism, revealing the psychological impacts of societal rejection and the complexities of navigating identity in a status-obsessed culture.
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Status: A Fundamental Force
- Status is a fundamental force in human behavior, driving social life.
- It's a key to understanding human interactions, influencing survival and reproduction.
Three Status Games
- Humans play three status games: dominance, virtue, and success.
- These games evolved from our primal need for status and belonging within groups.
Rousseau and Status
- Rousseau was right that private property destabilized status, but wrong about pre-agricultural harmony.
- Modern unhappiness stems from enormous status games and inequalities.
