SOSC 1140 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Alain De Botton, Status Anxiety, Meritocracy
23 Jan 2015
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Document Summary
Social hierarchy in a competitive society we tend to compare ourselves to others and what they have in a competitive society we also want to be acknowledged, socially included, respected and loved. Our fears and worries over these causes status anxiety when we see ourselves as failures we feel stripped of dignity and respect. Despite relatively high affluence for some, people want more and. If we are supposed to be all equals then it is natural to want what more others have . Money, fame and influence may be valued more as tokens of and means to love rather than ends in themselves. Poor citizens compare themselves with rich ones . Comparing ourselves to others can cause feelings of inadequacy. We can compare happiness levels between so-called primitive . In a competitive society we are all expected to succeed culture and modern consumer cultures.
