Why Status Matters with Will Storr

Why Status Matters with Will Storr

Author: Paul Ollinger October 25, 2022 Duration: 52:08
Where do you sit on the social hierarchy?

You might not think about it daily, but if I asked you to compare your status to that of one of your friends, you'd probably know the answer: above some, below others, and probably on about the same level as most. Perhaps you'd follow up with questions like “Do you mean who has more money? Or who has more recognition in the community or who's more attractive or physically fit?” This request for clarification demonstrates the nature of status, and how we go about gaining it and retaining it, whether or not we are conscious of our efforts to do so.

My guest this week is Will Storr. He's the author of a fascinating book called The Status Game. The author of six critically acclaimed books, including The Status Game, Selfie, and The Science of Storytelling, Will’s writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The New Yorker and the New York Times. And his journalism has been recognized with awards from the National Press Club, the One World Press and Amnesty International. If I haven't yet convinced you of his status, I’ll also share that he's a great looking guy who grows giant yams. (You'll understand that reference about 20 minutes into the episode.)

In this conversation, Will and I discuss why status matters; Whether the pursuit of status is a fool's game for small minded people with totally fragile egos; We talk about a totally bizarre source of status in Polynesia that demonstrates the arbitrariness and locally relative nature of status. We talk about whether it's better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond. We talk about how the quest for status shows up in politics and religion and boy does it ever and lastly, we discuss how the thirst for status among even the most rich and famous among us, like Sir Paul McCartney, demonstrate the insatiable need for this elusive and addictive drug that is STATUS.

🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts here 🎧
✍️Get Paul’s Substack newsletter here.✍️
🔥Subscribe to us on YouTube here. 🔥

Follow Will Storr:
Twitter - https://bit.ly/3D84YVg (@wstorr)
The Status Game: The Book - https://amzn.to/3TnazNi

Get full access to Reasonably Happy at words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Paul Ollinger has worn a few different hats-stand-up comedian, tech executive, and now, the curious host of Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger. This isn't a lecture series or a dry self-help guide. Instead, it feels more like pulling up a chair for a series of genuinely engaging talks that wander into the places where our daily lives, careers, and inner worlds collide. The conversations, which feature authors, thinkers, and various creatives, are refreshingly candid. They dig into the practical and philosophical questions about what it actually means to build a life that feels both successful and satisfying. You'll find that each episode of this podcast approaches big themes-money, purpose, and the pursuit of contentment-with a blend of wit and thoughtful depth. The underlying idea isn't about finding a perfect, Instagram-ready version of happiness, but something more grounded and attainable. It's for anyone who's ever wondered if there's a smarter, more meaningful way to navigate the pressures of business and culture without losing sight of what matters. Tuning in, you get the sense that Paul is figuring it out alongside his guests, making the insights feel earned and relatable. The result is a consistently interesting exploration of how we can all aim for a life that feels reasonably, and authentically, well-lived.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 321

Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger
Podcast Episodes
How to Live a Stress-free Financial Life with Jared Dillian [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:00
Financial gurus like Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman tell their audience that the key to achieving wealth—or just financial stability—is to cut back on the little things like that daily Starbucks latte. Jared Dillian thinks th…
Judd Apatow on Money, Fame, and Adam Sandler (Encore) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:26
Judd Apatow is one of the most important figures in comedy and film today. But he just doesn’t care that much about money. This non-attachment to material goods leaves him more time to focus on what matters: writing, dir…
Author Gary Sernovitz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:08
Gary Sernovitz is one of the funniest financial writers working today. His hilarious new novel The Counting House tells the story of a university’s Chief Investment Officer who is suffering a mid-life crisis. If you poss…
How to Get Un-stuck with Merrick Furst, Ph.D. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:24
Do you ever feel stuck in life? As if you are in the wrong place or you’re in the right place but doing the wrong thing? What do you do when you find yourself at a crossroad? Today, I speak to innovation expert Merrick F…
Paul Reads His Thanksgiving Essays [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:41
In this special “over the river and through the woods” episode, Paul reads four of his latest pieces from his Substack, Money and the Meaning of Life, so that you can drive or workout without reading. Latest posts includ…
Ed Begley Jr. on Finding Serenity in Hollywood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:45
✍️ Subscribe to Paul’s Substack ‘Money & the Meaning of Life’ here. ✍️🎤 See Paul’s upcoming comedy dates here and random thoughts on Instagram here. 🎤Ed Begley Jr. has been acting professionally since 1967 when he appear…
Lessons from an '80s Guitar god with Rik Emmett of Triumph [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:15
Rik Emmett is a vocalist, guitarist and former member of the rock band Triumph, which earned 18 gold and nine platinum records in Canada and the United States in the late 1970s and early’80s. Triumph was known for its BI…
The NHL, Brain Injury, and Psilocybin with Daniel Carcillo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:17
When Daniel Carcillo played in the NHL, he was known as an enforcer so tough and volatile that he earned the nickname “Car Bomb.” In his 12 seasons in the NHL, Daniel was a member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams (2013 a…
Paul and Cal Fussman Talk Israel, Hamas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:35
Over the past 30 years, Cal Fussman has interviewed a breathtaking array of the world’s most fascinating people, including Nelson Mandela, Clint Eastwood, Barbara Walters, Richard Branson, Muhammed Ali, Mikhail Gorbachev…