Will Storr is an award-winning author and journalist whose work delves into the complexities of the human status game. In this engaging discussion, he explores the profound impact of status as the original human currency, influencing everything from mate selection to modern cancel culture. Storr shares fascinating insights, including how growing a yam can elevate one's standing in a tribe. He also examines how status dynamics can lead to extreme behaviors and the relationship between humiliation and violence, making for a thought-provoking conversation.
Status has been crucial for human survival, providing access to mates, resources, and safety.
Anything can symbolize status, from a giant yam in Micronesia to luxury cars, watches, and even activism, with variations across cultures and time periods.
Striving for higher social rank through dominance, virtue, and success is a key driver of human behavior towards attaining status and the potential psychological impacts of rapid status gains or losses.
Deep dives
Status as the Original Human Currency
Status has been crucial for human survival, providing access to mates, resources, and safety. Even in modern times, our desire for status remains strong.
The Symbolic Nature of Status
The podcast delves into how anything can symbolize status, from a giant yam in Micronesia to luxury cars, watches, and even activism. Status manifests differently across cultures and time periods.
The Influence of Status on Human Behavior
Status drives human behavior, encouraging individuals to strive for higher social rank within their groups. Dominance, virtue, and success are key routes to attaining status.
Impacts of Gaining and Losing Status
While gaining status can be rewarding initially, excessively rapid status gains or losses can lead to psychological challenges. Losing status significantly impacts individuals, potentially resulting in negative outcomes like depression and shortened lifespans.
The Perpetual Pursuit of Status and Fame
The podcast discusses how the pursuit of status and fame can lead to unsustainable expectations and constant desire for more. Drawing parallels to a fitness tracker measuring green, amber, or red recovery, perpetual improvements are deemed necessary for success. The speaker emphasizes the relentless need for growth and progress to maintain a sense of achievement in the face of escalating status demands.
The Tyranny of the Cousins and Cancel Culture
The episode explores the concept of 'tyranny of the cousins' where groups form consensuses against individuals, reflecting cancel culture dynamics on social media. Human tendencies towards status-seeking behaviors are intensified by online communities. The discussion delves into the emergence of cancel culture in early social media platforms, highlighting the inherent nature of human impulses despite technological advancements fueling these behaviors.
Will Storr is an award winning author and journalist.
Status is the original human currency. Prestige, renown, respect and admiration are all sought after because it gave our ancestors better access to mates, safety and resources. Now the modern era has arrived, the lions are no longer chasing us but our desire for status is a strong as ever.
Expect to learn why growing a huge yam can make you the favourite in your tribe, why tall poppy syndrome exists, the reason for our conscience, the risks of radically gaining or losing status, the winning qualities to develop if you want to enhance your status, how the status game relates to cancel culture and much more...
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