Humans want to get along and get ahead

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And there was this great phrase that i first read, ama that tht that humans have this kind of the assertion to do two things, we just get along and get ahead. So wew, we know, we're a tribal animals, sowe, know, we want to get along with the people around us. For once we've connected, billi with the book around us, we've got thet trte urge to achieve status as so, so that was what i wanted to write bok about next wha's goting on underneath the story?

In this episode we welcome back author Will Storr whose new book, The Status Game, feels like required reading for anyone confused, curious, or worried about how politics, cults, conspiracy theories communities, social media, religious fundamentalism, polarization, and extremism are affecting us - everywhere, on and offline, across cultures, and across the world.

What is The Status Game? It’s our primate propensity to perpetually pursue points that will provide a higher level of regard among the people who can (if we provoked such a response) take those points away. And deeper still, it’s the propensity to, once we find a group of people who regularly give us those points, care about what they think more than just about anything else.

In the interview, we discuss our inescapable obsession with reputation and why we are deeply motivated to avoid losing this game through the fear of shame, ostracism, embarrassment, and humiliation while also deeply motivated to win this game by earning what will provide pride, fame, adoration, respect, and status.