Status Anxiety

Status Anxiety comprehensively gathers a history of ideas about why people feel anxious about their social standing (as well as how these anxieties have manifested, how our specific desired qualities/possessions have changed over time, etc.). While de Botton admits that there's no cure to caring about what others think of you, or to evaluating yourself through your perceptions of others, the latter half of the book is a swath of resonant reflections and commonsensical principles collected from a delightful array of references to philosophers, artists, authors, saints, etc. that reassures the reader: there's more to life than status and there are many more joyful matters with which we can occupy our minds and our time. It is possible to step away from, if not completely free ourselves from, status anxiety. de Botton's writing is deliciously readable and he summarizes the relevant ideas within a wide range of philosophical and artistic works such that anyone can make sense of what Schopenhauer, Ruskin, Woolf, and Tolstoy have to say about status. Negative reviews about this book seem to be centered on its lack of philosophical/argumentative rigor, which I will not contest — this is definitely more broad overview / narrative than deep dive. However, I think viewing Status Anxiety as a philosophically-rich self help book may more accurately highlight the many gems of timeless, good advice that the book has to offer.

While I consider my fan of the author and his writing, I found myself disappointed by this book. Although it contained some interesting ideas and perspectives, I struggled to remain engaged whilst reading and found the format quite dry.

This was so thoughtprovoking and then the last few pages ruined it.

this book claims to be absent any original ideas. It cites long (and I mean long) standing philosophical precepts, draws on well worn wisdom and largely repeats what has already been said. what's remarkable then is that it does so in such a clear and erudite manner that nearly every part of it--and it follows the whole would--makes sense. fundamentally. it offers no cure for status anxiety (as there isn't one) but it does give great insight into its roots, and some of the ways people have managed it over time. a very good read.