How often do you contemplate your social standing?

If you're being truthful, you likely spend quite a bit of time considering it. Reflect on the numerous ways we assess our social rank relative to others. You might ponder:

• Your standing at work: Are you recognized as a valuable team member?
• Your societal status based on your job: Does your profession command respect?
• Your educational credentials: Are people impressed by your academic achievements and institutions?
• Your identity-related status: Does your gender, ethnicity, religion, or race influence your societal position?
• Your financial status: Are you well-off compared to those around you?
• Your rank among friends and family: Do they value your opinions? Are you seen as a leader or a follower?

Anthropologist Ralph Lipton identified two primary types of status. The first is achieved status, which reflects aspects you can influence through your efforts, such as your profession and educational background. The second type is ascribed status, determined by factors outside your control, like race or age. However, this distinction is overly simplistic, as many achieved statuses are influenced by ascribed ones; for instance, your social class at birth can significantly affect your educational and career prospects.

Historically, societies often had rigid systems based on ascribed status. For example, in feudal systems, a duke was clearly above a baron due to family lineage. Today, many societies promote achieved status, celebrating individual accomplishments. If a student gains admission to a prestigious university, it is often viewed as a result of their hard work and intelligence, elevating them above peers from less renowned institutions.

Yet, one constant remains: status plays a crucial role in shaping our world. Therefore, it’s essential to recognize how status influences our actions and to contemplate the evolution of status competition in the 21st century.

Is our preoccupation with status beneficial?

On one hand, status serves as a significant incentive for positive behavior. Nobel Laureate John Harsanyi noted that, aside from financial rewards, social status is a key motivating factor in our actions.

Many daily choices—how we spend our leisure time, maintain our homes, pursue careers, and raise our children—are influenced by our quest for higher status. Would you care as much about your lawn if you weren’t concerned about your neighbors’ opinions? Would your approach to your children’s education change if you weren’t worried about how their achievements reflect on you?

Some may view this relentless pursuit of status as a futile endeavor, leading individuals to chase careers they are not passionate about, raise overly competitive children, and engage in superficial displays meant to impress others.

Conversely, Will Storr, who has extensively examined status, argues that our pursuit of it is not inherently negative:

> “We have evolved to seek connection and status; these are fundamental to human nature. Our purpose is to gain recognition from others. While this may seem cynical, it is the opposite: our psychological makeup rewards virtuous actions.”

> “When we perform selfless acts, we gain status and feel good about ourselves. Without status, progress would stagnate.”

Regardless of perspective, our fixation on status is likely ingrained in us. Various animal species, from fish to primates, establish hierarchies based on status.

Psychologists typically identify two pathways to status: dominance and prestige. This concept has historical roots, with Machiavelli discussing whether it is better to be loved or feared—a reflection of this dichotomy.

The dominance strategy, often seen in the animal kingdom, involves asserting power over others. For instance, a dog may exhibit dominance to establish itself as the alpha. This approach seeks to intimidate or manipulate others to fulfill one's desires, often relying on fear.

In contrast, the prestige strategy is thought to be unique to humans. Rather than coercing respect, individuals strive to earn it through admirable traits, such as displaying bravery or sharing knowledge. Achievements, whether in sports or academia, can enhance one's prestige depending on societal values.

Generally, seeking status through prestige is more favorable for society than through dominance, leading to less aggression and more positive interactions.

While the quest for status is a longstanding aspect of human society, modern advancements have amplified our primitive drives. Technology and globalization have transformed the landscape of status competition, creating a massive national and global arena for vying for recognition.

A prime example is college admissions, a critical benchmark for achieved prestige in American culture. Despite many colleges providing quality education, the competition for limited spots at elite institutions has intensified.

This competition has fostered a toxic culture, evidenced by parents, including celebrities, engaging in unethical practices to secure admissions for their children. I witness this firsthand with high school students increasingly fixated on grades and Ivy League acceptance at the expense of genuine learning.

The colleges themselves contribute to this issue by limiting admissions to elevate their brand prestige. Furthermore, the nationalization of the admissions process means that students from across the country now vie for spots at prestigious schools, resulting in drastically lower acceptance rates over the years.

The competition for status extends beyond academia; we increasingly measure ourselves against people worldwide, whether in fame, wealth, or influence. Society often rewards "superstars," leaving others feeling overshadowed. In this landscape, winning the status game seems nearly impossible, as there will always be someone who outperforms you.

Additionally, social media has transformed how we gauge our status. Unlike previous generations, today's youth can precisely measure their popularity through follower counts and likes, leading to heightened anxiety and self-comparison.

It’s no surprise that many teenagers now approach social media with trepidation, akin to diving into cold water. Social media exploits our intrinsic obsession with status, gamifying and quantifying it, leveraging cutting-edge technology and algorithms to tap into our deep-seated instincts.

Status is woven into the fabric of our being, and while it is unlikely we will ever stop considering it, we should recognize its overall positive contributions to humanity.

However, modern society has led to a form of "status sickness." This need not be our reality. We must cultivate social and technological frameworks that allow our instinct to measure ourselves against others to inspire us rather than induce anger or dissatisfaction, encouraging us to strive for our best selves.