The Problem With Status: Will Storr (4K)

Will Storr, award-winning author and science writer, reveals why the Buddhist rejection of ego and ambition completely misunderstands human nature, and how status is the hidden force driving everything we do.
In this episode of The Problem With… James and Will unpack the uncomfortable truth: without wanting, striving, and competing for recognition, civilisation itself would collapse.

Will Storr is the author of The Status Game and The Science of Storytelling, and his work spans psychology, neuroscience, and culture.
He explains why our obsession with hierarchy and belonging is baked into evolution, how status loss drives everything from online hate to violence and suicide, and why “connection and respect” are as fundamental to survival as food and water.

He explains:
◼️ Why Buddhism gets human motivation wrong
◼️ How every person plays invisible “status games” daily
◼️ Why humiliation can trigger violence
◼️ How storytelling and culture shape our sense of self
◼️ The link between status, social media, and modern mental health


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Chapters:
00:00 – The Problem With Buddhism
04:45 – Why Status Rules Everything
08:50 – The 4 Truths of Buddhism
10:30 – How Moral Outrage Became a Game
16:10 – The Addiction to Recognition
21:40 – Playing Multiple Status Games
27:15 – Men, Women & The Status Divide
33:00 – Storytelling: The Software of the Human Brain
39:20 – The Hero, The Underdog, and You
44:50 – Why We Can’t Escape Narrative
50:10 – The Dark Side of the Status Game
56:45 – From Status to Connection
1:03:20 – The Pattern Behind Every Great Story
1:10:05 – The Danger of Believing Your Own Story
1:17:00 – How to Play the Game Well