Nothing wrong with seeking validation, just make sure you’re seeking it for the right reasons. The danger is when you start to compromise your values for the validation of others.
The “status” can be The GoalMotivator or it can be the thing that enables the deeper goal. I absolutely *hate* the status game, but it’s (for me) a “necessary evil” for things I DO live… educating, inspiring, empowering others, etc. I’m learning to be a *little* more comfortable in the Status Game, without being extrinsically driven by it. But it’s a chore for me. In the early 2000’s I wrote programming books and my series sold over 2 million copies, all without *me* having any social media presence, purely word of mouth “organic”. I doubt I could do that today. It’s hard to balance a “it’s not ABOUT me” thing while simultaneously working to get credibility and awareness for something you weren’t previously known for… Anyway, thanks for this (and all) deep dive!
There's this convention that one shouldn't brag about altruistic acts. Realizing we're all just playing a status game should we instead seek to normalize talking about all the altruism we've done. Altruism is a nobler status game to be playing than consumerism.
How do you explain people who are not bothered about showing the fact that they are doing good? I haven't read the book so I probably am making an uninformed judgment, but I really don't think everyone is status-driven. I think LOTS of people are, including me sometimes, but being social status-driven means you are driven by pride and what people think of you. I know that these are niggling things that can occur but I also believe there are ways to humble yourself so you become less superficial.
