The Status Game

On Human Life and How to Play It

By: Will Storr

Narrated by: Will Storr

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

What drives our political and moral beliefs? What makes us like some things and dislike others? What shapes how we behave, and misbehave, in a group? What makes you, you?

For centuries, philosophers and scholars have described human behaviour in terms of sex, power and money. In The Status Game, best-selling author Will Storr radically turns this thinking on its head by arguing that it is our irrepressible craving for status that ultimately defines who we are.

From the era of the hunter-gatherer to today, when we exist as workers in the globalised economy and citizens of online worlds, the need for status has been wired into us. A wealth of research shows that how much of it we possess dramatically affects not only our happiness and wellbeing but also our physical health—and without sufficient status, we become more ill, and live shorter lives. It’s an unconscious obsession that drives the best and worst of us: our innovation, arts and civilisation as well as our murders, wars and genocides. But why is status such an all-consuming prize? What happens if it’s taken away from us? And how can our unquenchable thirst for it explain cults, moral panics, conspiracy theories, the rise of social media and the ‘culture wars’ of today?

On a breathtaking journey through time and culture, The Status Game offers a sweeping rethink of human psychology that will change how you see others—and how you see yourself.

©2021 Will Storr (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"I haven’t finished reading The Status Game because I’ve only read it once. There's so much in this dazzling book I will be revisiting over and over again." (Daniel Finkelstein, author of Everything in Moderation)

"The Status Game could not be more timely and provides a missing piece for understanding where we are, and how to get out of this mess.... I can’t recommend it highly enough." (Greg Lukianoff, co-author with Jonathan Haidt of The Coddling of the American Mind)

"Thought provoking and enlightening—you’ll be discussing The Status Game everywhere you go." (Sara Pascoe)

Thoughtful and reflective

A unique take on why we do the things we do. I’ll definitely be enjoying another lap through this one to make sure it all sinks in.

Great Read - An Astronauts View of Humanity!

I throughly enjoyed this book. I felt like this book gave me answers to many questions I’ve had for a long time.

As someone who has been raised in a large Utah based cult, and lost my sister to depression, due to the abusive virtue and dominance games the large Utah based cult played on my sister - this book resonated with me.

I’ve tried to deconstruct what happened, why it happened and how to move forward in the wake of such heartbreak and loss, and I felt like this book gave me a lot of answers I have been seeking.

Since reading I noticed I have shifted into being in an observer in role when it comes to work, politics, religion, social media, and observing the roles people play, the status they are seeking, and why they do the things they do. I’ve even started reading family history going back 5 generations to understand my own family history and the status game they had played to help start this Utah based religion.

It was an incredibly powerful read into understanding myself, my community, events, and lots helpful advice in the last chapter on moving forward.

HIgh School never ends...

Storr details what motivates much of our social behavior: Status! This seems uncontroversial at first until you realize the potency of our need for status (and it's sneaky way of motivating us even if we are unaware of it). So much strife, disagreement, and frustration has become clear to me in accepting Storr's premise. But I'm relieved to understand it. This is not a case of ignorance is bliss. Grokking the ubiquity of status games and the level to which people are committed to them gives me a kind of wisdom in avoiding status games that are way too zero-sum and unfulfilling and helps me to understand my own motivations which have involved asserting status games that nobody wanted to play with me. You've got to agree to what counts as status and simply asserting it isn't enough! After considering everything Storr has to say about status I'm better situated to avoid status games or at least to avoid getting sucked into extremely frustrating and unrewarding status games. And to stop trying to rope others into playing status games they are not interested in playing. There's a lot of wisdom in recognizing status for what it is: a fundamental need and drive for human beings. It's not just the gross stuff that happened back in high school! It's what largely characterizes our adult lives, for better and for worse. Understating that can help tip the scale toward the better and away from the worse--at least for each of us individually.

Fascinating

What an incredible compilation of research on the human “condition”… so interesting… so well thought out… so compelling… the last 2 chapters of this book will stick with me … hopefully for life

It’s a mirror.

This was recommended to me and I enjoyed every second of it. Even the parts that were too true to admit.

Eye opening nature of people in society

I wish I had known about this attribute of humanity a long time ago. Never too late though. I understand now why my enemies exist and why they perceive me as a threat to their imaginary status. LOL people are so silly and so detached from what really matters. I am a better me after becoming aware of this dumb human trait.

Best book I've listened to this year

Narrator? Perfect. Content? Enlightening. A gripping tale of how society and humans work, and it's a great way of making sense of the world. I truly recommend it.

Encouraging and comforting

Good synopsis of social, psychological and economic phenomenon that define humanity and its development. Just like a telescope shows your scale in the context of the univers, this book puts perspective on all daily pains and gains that we often take too seriously.

Great insights. Very thought provoking.

I heard about this book on a podcast and wanted to know more. I loved the research and comparisons the author presented. The author did a brilliant job sharing both historical situations of status games and present-day situations of status games. The cool thing is that it wasn't stuffy or pretentious, as some researched topics can be. Good til the end. Will listen again.

Essential read.

This is a brilliant tale of what underlies the social structure of humans. The author draws the blueprint and the pillars of what makes people act and do as they do.