Have you ever thought about why people are so concerned with status? The Status Game explores this part of our nature. It tells us that everything we do is driven by the desire for status. This might seem simple, but the book is packed with ideas that will change the way you see yourself and others.
The Status Game explains surprising truths about why we behave the way we do and makes us rethink history and our surroundings. Will Thorr supports these ideas with thorough research from various sources, giving a strong foundation to the author’s views. In this book, Thorr aims to help us understand life more clearly, handle challenges better, overcome fears, and lead more meaningful, safe, and happy lives.
If you’re looking for a book that will change your perspective, The Status Game is a great pick.
Summary
Humans are always striving to connect with others and gain status within groups. This drive affects many of our behaviors and interactions.
We rarely admit that we’re driven by a desire for status, as it feels uncomfortable to acknowledge. We prefer to focus on our goals and achievements, like getting a promotion or reaching a milestone, rather than on the status these bring us. Yet, our need for status is crucial to our well-being. It affects our mental and physical health, and our brains treat status like a basic need, just like food or water. We feel best when we achieve more than those around us.
Our ancestors began playing the status game in social settings, where what mattered was how others saw us. We could gain status either by being successful and skilled or by showing virtues that benefited the group.
The History of Status
Human society changed dramatically when we settled into farming and herding communities. Social status began to be determined by birth, leading to the class systems we have today. As society developed, wealth and land were divided, benefiting those at the top while those at the bottom often suffered.
We Create Our Own Reality
Our brains make us feel like the heroes of our own stories. This makes us feel important and motivated, even though this narrative isn’t always true. Neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga explains that our brains create a storyline that makes sense of our experiences, but this story can often be wrong. A healthy brain, however, excels at making us feel like the heroes in our lives, supported by our culture and society.
Prestige Games
We all have instincts to play games of status. We often copy prestigious people, imitating their behaviors and beliefs. Studies show that both humans and chimpanzees learn by copying others, but humans tend to copy everything, even unnecessary actions. This tendency helps us learn and succeed within our cultural context.
Our brains are wired to notice four main cues:
- Self-similarity: We prefer to learn from people like us.
- Skill: We mimic those who are good at tasks.
- Success: We admire and copy successful people.
- Prestige: We watch who others respect and follow their lead.
Cultures evolve as we mimic prestigious people to gain status ourselves. Influence plays a big role in this process, and when we identify influential people, we often change our beliefs and behaviors to match theirs.
The Truth of Human Nature
Humans are inherently driven to compete for status, and this can lead to unfair behavior. Our brains compare what we have to others and often hide our selfish behaviors from us. We see ourselves as moral heroes, while believing others are greedy and corrupt.
My Favorite Bits
To be alive, and to be psychologically healthy, is to be vulnerable to the story of consciousness that tells us that with one particular victory, with that peak finally climbed, we’ll be satisfied. (..) And the problem with status is, no matter how much we win, we’re never satisfied. We always want more. This is the flaw in the human condition that keeps us playing.
Will Storr, The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It: On Social Position and How We Use it
No matter who we are or how high on the scoreboard we climb, life is a game that never ends.
Will Storr, The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It: On Social Position and How We Use it
Author: Will Storr
Number of pages: 437 pages
Publication date: 2 September 2021
