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darwin8u 's review for:
Status Anxiety
by Alain de Botton
"The more humiliating, shallow, debased or ugly we take ordinariness to be, the stronger will be our desire to set ourselves apart. The more corrupt the community, the stronger the lure of individual achievement."
- Alain de Botton, Status Anxiety
This is my second of Botton's books. I enjoyed a lot (not just because I love gay French writers who adore their mothers) his book: [b:How Proust Can Change Your Life|23420|How Proust Can Change Your Life|Alain de Botton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403181774l/23420._SY75_.jpg|14280396]. It isn't a huge, transformative book, but one of those nonfiction for amateur books that distill other's works into a product fit for mass consumption (a bit like Gladwell, etc).
The book is divided into a section on Causes:
1. Lovelessness
2. Expectation
3. Meritocracy
4. Snobbery
5. Dependence
And a section on Solutions:
1. Philosophy
2. Art
3. Politics
4. Religion
5. Bohemia
It is amazing to think this book was published the same year as Facebook was founded (2004) but before Twitter (2006) and Instagram (2010). I kept on thinking about how FB (all my vacation flexing and my need for likes), Instagram (selfies and filters), and Twitter (when will I ever get to 1M followers or verified) seem to validate almost all of Botton's points about the anxiety caused by status. Hell, status anxiety may also partially explains Trump, immigration fears, and the alteration of American Christianity the last 50 years, and even the college admissions scandal*. Part of the fun of reading this book (perhaps FUN isn't the right word) is all the ways this book makes you view one's own relationship with status, money, and others. It is also interesting to see how Botton's thesis has found fertile ground on the left and the right as we try to explain the stupid shit others do.
Anyway, it wasn't a perfect book and, at times, seemed almost too tucked in. Botton isn't saying anything super-novel here either, but his writing is always enjoyable and his points add a fold or two to my brain, and at the end of the day isn't that enough?
Finally, if you think I'm brilliant, or think I have value as a person, please like this post. Otherwise, I'm not sure if life will be worth living without my GR friend's approval. Also, you are ALL invited to my future funeral. Obviously, those of you who are REALLY my friends will show up. The rest of you, to quote Holden Caufield, are all "Phonies"!
* There is much I don't agree with this linked article. So, be warned. My linking doesn't = my agreeing with the author's point.
- Alain de Botton, Status Anxiety
This is my second of Botton's books. I enjoyed a lot (not just because I love gay French writers who adore their mothers) his book: [b:How Proust Can Change Your Life|23420|How Proust Can Change Your Life|Alain de Botton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403181774l/23420._SY75_.jpg|14280396]. It isn't a huge, transformative book, but one of those nonfiction for amateur books that distill other's works into a product fit for mass consumption (a bit like Gladwell, etc).
The book is divided into a section on Causes:
1. Lovelessness
2. Expectation
3. Meritocracy
4. Snobbery
5. Dependence
And a section on Solutions:
1. Philosophy
2. Art
3. Politics
4. Religion
5. Bohemia
It is amazing to think this book was published the same year as Facebook was founded (2004) but before Twitter (2006) and Instagram (2010). I kept on thinking about how FB (all my vacation flexing and my need for likes), Instagram (selfies and filters), and Twitter (when will I ever get to 1M followers or verified) seem to validate almost all of Botton's points about the anxiety caused by status. Hell, status anxiety may also partially explains Trump, immigration fears, and the alteration of American Christianity the last 50 years, and even the college admissions scandal*. Part of the fun of reading this book (perhaps FUN isn't the right word) is all the ways this book makes you view one's own relationship with status, money, and others. It is also interesting to see how Botton's thesis has found fertile ground on the left and the right as we try to explain the stupid shit others do.
Anyway, it wasn't a perfect book and, at times, seemed almost too tucked in. Botton isn't saying anything super-novel here either, but his writing is always enjoyable and his points add a fold or two to my brain, and at the end of the day isn't that enough?
Finally, if you think I'm brilliant, or think I have value as a person, please like this post. Otherwise, I'm not sure if life will be worth living without my GR friend's approval. Also, you are ALL invited to my future funeral. Obviously, those of you who are REALLY my friends will show up. The rest of you, to quote Holden Caufield, are all "Phonies"!
* There is much I don't agree with this linked article. So, be warned. My linking doesn't = my agreeing with the author's point.