I think the way we process information of any kind involves making comparisons. We wouldn’t be able make any distinctions at all without some sort of internal calculation that allows us to understand where one entity ends and another begins, so advising people not to compare themselves to others strikes me as advice that is meant to be helpful, but that does not address the complexity of the human condition. I also don’t think that we can rid ourselves of status concerns-there is evidence to suggest that these have been present in our evolutionary history for a very long time.
It would be nice if a public conversation in the world at large drew people’s attention to ways in which we can reinforce the positive aspects of comparison. These might include an intention to value the efforts people at levels of the socioeconomic hierarchy make despite the challenges they face, even if their accomplishments are small or an attempt to pay attention to things people do, no matter how mundane, that are unique to them. I believe it would also be helpful if as a society we encouraged every one to pursue their dreams and not to accept the limits placed on them by historical circumstances. If we did this, perhaps eventually, after a period in which society was reconfigured to allow for a much broader section of people to experience autonomy and fulfillment in their working life, the middle class would not be so terrified of downward mobility because the floor would not be as connected in the imagination to the worst outcomes imaginable as it is now.
I definitely see what you’re saying about how we make comparisons when we process information, and that there is a strong evolutionary pressure for us to be concerned about social status. The thing that makes me feel hopeful is that when you look at humans, there’s a pretty decent range of how much different people care about social status. Some care a lot, some only care a little. I wouldn’t argue if someone were to claim that you can never 100% get rid of the concern for social status, but it does really seem to me that there is room for growth in terms of how much you care about it. Otherwise, what explains the fact that there is a spectrum of how much people care. Unless it is all genetic, it seems that there is a lot of room for people to improve.
I think that’s a really cool idea about society moving towards healthier comparisons. Without having thought deeply about it, my impression is that it’d be extremely difficult because of equilibrium stuff. If an individual actor starts to prioritize something like effort instead of accomplishment, no one is going to praise them, and they won’t get social status points. It seems like something where you’d need to get a sizable group to all make a change at the same time, which is always tricky to do. Not to say that it isn’t worth pursuing though.
I think the way we process information of any kind involves making comparisons. We wouldn’t be able make any distinctions at all without some sort of internal calculation that allows us to understand where one entity ends and another begins, so advising people not to compare themselves to others strikes me as advice that is meant to be helpful, but that does not address the complexity of the human condition. I also don’t think that we can rid ourselves of status concerns-there is evidence to suggest that these have been present in our evolutionary history for a very long time.
It would be nice if a public conversation in the world at large drew people’s attention to ways in which we can reinforce the positive aspects of comparison. These might include an intention to value the efforts people at levels of the socioeconomic hierarchy make despite the challenges they face, even if their accomplishments are small or an attempt to pay attention to things people do, no matter how mundane, that are unique to them. I believe it would also be helpful if as a society we encouraged every one to pursue their dreams and not to accept the limits placed on them by historical circumstances. If we did this, perhaps eventually, after a period in which society was reconfigured to allow for a much broader section of people to experience autonomy and fulfillment in their working life, the middle class would not be so terrified of downward mobility because the floor would not be as connected in the imagination to the worst outcomes imaginable as it is now.
I definitely see what you’re saying about how we make comparisons when we process information, and that there is a strong evolutionary pressure for us to be concerned about social status. The thing that makes me feel hopeful is that when you look at humans, there’s a pretty decent range of how much different people care about social status. Some care a lot, some only care a little. I wouldn’t argue if someone were to claim that you can never 100% get rid of the concern for social status, but it does really seem to me that there is room for growth in terms of how much you care about it. Otherwise, what explains the fact that there is a spectrum of how much people care. Unless it is all genetic, it seems that there is a lot of room for people to improve.
I think that’s a really cool idea about society moving towards healthier comparisons. Without having thought deeply about it, my impression is that it’d be extremely difficult because of equilibrium stuff. If an individual actor starts to prioritize something like effort instead of accomplishment, no one is going to praise them, and they won’t get social status points. It seems like something where you’d need to get a sizable group to all make a change at the same time, which is always tricky to do. Not to say that it isn’t worth pursuing though.