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Status Anxiety

By Alain de Botton

(51)

| Paperback | 9780241142394

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Critics

Running away with the branding-iron

Status Anxiety by Alain de Botton 314pp Hamish Hamilton, £16.99 Alain de Botton is the kind of public intellectual our debased culture deserves. This prince of précis, this queen of quotation, pastes together entire books by citing and then restating ... (read full critics)

guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

Sorry symptoms trendily diagnosed

It’s no surprise that one of Alain de Botton’s favoured sources, in a text well-sprigged with neat citations, should be Matthew Arnold: sweetness and enlightenment are their common contributions to a culture in which anarchy is the liveliest art form ... (read full critics)

spectator published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

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5 Reviews

2 people find this helpful

I like the author's chatty but erudite style. The chapters on Christian and Bohemian solutions to status anxiety are especially enlightening. Sprinkled throughout the book are some really great quotations from philosophers and aphorists. I'm going to read more of his stuff.

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Leebeck said on Feb 29, 2008 | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

Once upon a time, life (for white) was easy. If you are a blacksmith's son, you will be a blacksmith. If you are a nobleman's son, you will be a nobleman. Well, if you are a woman, wish you luck....
At the good old days, people were religious enough to believe that even if they are poor and do ... (continue)

Once upon a time, life (for white) was easy. If you are a blacksmith's son, you will be a blacksmith. If you are a nobleman's son, you will be a nobleman. Well, if you are a woman, wish you luck....
At the good old days, people were religious enough to believe that even if they are poor and doing hard labour, they are liked by the God, and will have gorgeous time in Heaven after they passed away.
However, after Industrail Revolution and the new ethics of Capitalism, a new social ethinics arised: Meritocracy.
If you are really good, clever, smart, efficient, even if you born to be a street cleaner's son, you are suppose to be able to climb up the social ladder to reach the top of the world. "Top" here of course means being super RICH.
Since, no matter what kind of family you are bron in, you are supposed to climb up, that means if you are poor, you are a LOSER. You have NO merit, so you lose, lose in this society, valueless in this cold world. We thus always live in Status Anxiety. Anxious to be better, richer, more beautiful, powrful..... just to get... well, LOVE.
So, what to do with our status anxiety? The author makes several suggestions.
I like Philosophy. The philosophers has enough independent thinking to be aware that what is praised by the standard people are not necessarily importnat.
But, this is very sad that all the religion the author has in hand is just Christianity..... For such a learned person like the author, I don't believe that he totally ignore those evil, wicked, selfish and arrogant side of Christianity..... The author must be desperate, so only write on that "GOD" treat us like kids, love us if we are hardworking and honest..... and did not mentioned that the GOD need to test a father by asking him to kill his own son......
What is totally SHAMEFUL is that the author take Bohemia as a solution to status anxiety....... The first photo of Bohemia is five people taking picnic. The three men was properly dress while the two women were topless, exposing their breast, and laughed lustfully when touching by a man......
So, these Bohemia called themselves anit-Borgheaus???? Haha, what a joke of such a picinc picture? And what a shame to be a "stamp-collector" by having SEX with as many men and / or women to be a Bohemia!
If the only solution the author can think of is just being either taking blind faith of Christianity, waiting to be saved by big daddy / mummy, or, to be lustful, shameless and pretentious Bohemisa...... maybe, the Author is really in a urgent need of the "lotus position" as one the praise at the back of the book says.
*****
I was mean to the author.
But, after watching this: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/alain_de_botton_a_kin…
I suppose, the author is trying to convey a kinder way of defining sucess.
Can I be kinder to this very kind author too?

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Samsara said on Jul 12, 2009 | Add your feedback

Actually I finished this about 12 years ago. I just remember that some of my interpersonal relationship problems were solved because of the explicit explanations and viewpoints of this author.

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Faith0805 said on Feb 7, 2012 | Add your feedback

When you are offered two jobs, one with $50k and your colleagues got $30k, another one with $60k and your colleagues got 80k, which one would you take?
If inequality is the nature and you cannot alter, there is no dis-satisfaction. However, with the evolution of society and technical advancement in ... (continue)

When you are offered two jobs, one with $50k and your colleagues got $30k, another one with $60k and your colleagues got 80k, which one would you take?
If inequality is the nature and you cannot alter, there is no dis-satisfaction. However, with the evolution of society and technical advancement in 18th/19th century, the rigid class hierarchy was disintegrated. People are judged by financial achievement, esp you are compared with the group like you. Being poor means unsuccessful and lack of talents. All these contribute to "Status Anxiety", worry of failure, disrespect, etc.
This book talks about the origins of the formation of these culture and how Art, Philosophy, Religion, etc help to get back the peace of mind.
It is not a self help book. The "Causes" part provides food for my self reflection while the "Solutions" is rather dogmatic.

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Waleswong said on Jul 27, 2011 | Add your feedback

alain de bottom gives a great overview of how "status" and "respect" have changed much over the ages, and while most crave it, some have escaped this neverending cycle through means such as philosophy, art, and bohemia.
it is a little hard to follow at times as he jumps around a bit in the na ... (continue)

alain de bottom gives a great overview of how "status" and "respect" have changed much over the ages, and while most crave it, some have escaped this neverending cycle through means such as philosophy, art, and bohemia.
it is a little hard to follow at times as he jumps around a bit in the narrative, but quite an enjoyable read.

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Michaelkchan said on Jan 4, 2009 | Add your feedback