The Jordan Harbinger Show 552: Will Storr | Understanding Social Position and the Status Game
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Aug 26, 2021 
Will Storr, an award-winning investigative journalist and author of The Status Game, explores the fascinating dynamics of social status. He discusses how status has evolutionary roots that impact survival and innovation. Storr breaks down the three status games—dominance, virtue, and success—and reveals their psychological consequences, including links between low status and depression. The conversation touches on why job titles can outweigh salaries in terms of happiness, inviting listeners to reconsider their own status pursuits.
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Status' Pervasiveness
- Status significantly influences our lives, regardless of background or circumstance.
- Will Storr's book opens with a story about a prisoner named Ben to highlight this.
Ben's Status in Prison
- Ben, a prisoner, found status by becoming a jailhouse lawyer, fighting injustice for other inmates.
- His status within prison kept him there, even when offered parole and a loving relationship.
Low Status and Mental Health
- Low status correlates with depression and suicide, especially after rapid status loss.
- Our brains interpret low status as a dangerous signal, triggering a protective mode.
