Alain de Botton - Status Anxiety - Comment.

 What use is the subject of philosophy if its ideas and tenets have no bearing on our personal lives? The twentieth century has seen philosophy attenuate into a specialized ugly stepsister of the humanities, pronounced irrelevant by insecure, materialist - centered academics, having no "practical value" to the modern world. To a certain extent this was indeed a reality, as the subject "theorized" itself almost out of existence.

 This is changing, however, as philosophy is slowly being perceived as a method to bring meaning to our lives - in practical ways. Leading the cause to take the subject to a state of practical relevance is Alain de Botton, author of such bestselling texts as "The Consolations of Philosophy", "The Art of Travel" and "How Proust Can Change Your Life." De Botton's skill lies in his ability to interpret great works of philosophy, art and literature, and re-mold age-old notions into workable methods of application to the personal and every day. 

In this text, he explores the universal social condition of Status Anxiety; our fears about what others think about our success and failures, how we are judged by society based on societies value systems, placing us in categories of winners and losers, and how our status is actually historically specific, (society's values change through time) and, more importantly, what determines elite status, is usually imposed values by the elites, to control our behaviors, pushing us to seek material status, at the expense of our souls.

De Botton states his thesis for the book:

That status anxiety possesses an exceptional capacity to inspire sorrow.

That the hunger for status, like all appetites, can have its uses: spurring us to do justice to our talents, encouraging excellence, restraining us from harmful eccentricities and cementing members of a society around a common value system. But, like all appetites, its excesses can also kill.

The most profitable way of addressing the condition may be to attempt to understand and to speak of it. (P.5)

De Botton proposes five categories of cause for the condition of status anxiety - lovelessness, snobbery, expectation, meritocracy and dependence. He then explores possible solutions to the condition in five groups of study - philosophy, art, politics Christianity and bohemia.

In the end, possessing any form of status anxiety is unavoidable. What de Botton proposes, however, is that we have the power to choose what is most valuable in our lives, despite what society dictates we should hold in high esteem. It is also important to have a critical eye towards the at times subtle machinations of our media, communicated in seductive tones, as to what is important, money, power and material possessions or a loving family, productive relationships, charity and compassion.

This book succeeds in so far as revealing that there is more than one way in providing meaning to our lives other than what is dictated by the majority as to what determines true value and our so-called status in society.