The pursuit of status for itself is a root of human evil

Philosophim

Something I have been thinking about is the use of status in society. Used properly, status serves a positive purpose.

1. Status is an indicator of competency, and value to the community.

If you have been granted a phd, then it is an indicator that you are likely someone to go to if there is a need for your field of study. If you are a leader of people, then you should have the capability to manage different people's competing needs in a way that benefits the community as a whole.

This means that if the person in a place of high status does their job right, they should have the respect and acknowledgment of the community they assist. This also requires the person in high status to respect their position and the people they serve. This is of course, the ideal.

This means status should be pursued if one believes they can give to the community that looks up to them. But we all know this ideal does not always exist. Some people pursue status as a means to its own end. They desire the power and respect (or fear) of those that do not have as much knowledge or power as themselves. They spend their time shoring up their status, enjoying the thrill of demeaning those beneath them, instead of improving their skills needed for the position they handle.

And this I believe is a root of human evil. The misuse and misunderstanding of status is a prime ruiner of the human race. It is the source of greed and envy. I also find it a trap that budding intellectuals can fall into. Some people believe that intelligent discussion is a means to gain status over another person. This is not to help others, or gain the respect of a community as someone to chat with if you want to solve a problem. Discussions for these people are not about working through problems or finding truths, but a means to elevate one's ego at the expense of another.

If you recognize this in yourself or others, how do we treat this? By pointing it out. We are all fallible, and many of us do not realize what we do. I feel people fall into this through either ignorance, or fear of someone else improperly using "status" against them. We should not belittle another's ideas, even if we have heard it thousands of times, or think that it is ignorant or wrong. We should approach the situation with the chance that the person has the best intentions behind it. It is not something I have mastered, but I try to remind myself of it every day.

And if you have met the brunt of such interactions in your job or daily life, I encourage you to not tolerate it. Status is a two way street. A person in a position of power is expected to serve those not in power. If those in power have failed, then it is the responsibility of those not in power to remind them of this.

What do you think? Am I off in my assessment? Anything to add?

Augustusea

I would agree completely but not for a few points,
I think the struggle for statues or power is inherit in our nature, and so is hate, we had them changed and broken like we do with other parts of our nature, like for example sexual attraction which we turned from the most powerful evolutionary trait for reproduction mainly to a big dopamine machine.
Anywho by extension of that, humanity's nature is rooted in evil, and truly you cannot change that unless you change humans,
it can be masked and disregarded on an individual basis but for general populations I think such is impossible especially when we follow irrational desires almost daily.

ChatteringMonkey

↪Philosophim

No, I agree by and large.

What interests me most is the question what are we going to do with this given.

Nietzsche for instance points out that even asceticism or saints are ultimately also an attempt to gain status... that is to say, denying that you succumb to these human all to human drives, is itself an expression of it, albeit a more perverted one.

So, if we accept there is no escaping it, what are some healthy ways of dealing with it.... by channeling or sublimating it in less harmful ways, via art? I think that is an open question...

Philosophim

↪Augustusea

I do agree that evil is in our nature. But I also believe that we can learn to control and refine it. And I think that for the majority of humanity, there is some desire in us all to do so.

Nietzsche for instance points out that even asceticism or saints are ultimately also an attempt to gain status... — ChatteringMonkey

I would argue that while some people do this, they would be the people who are seeking status for itself. There are people who do such things without regards to status, and have had such status placed on them by society. It is the later who are the true saints and ascetics, while I would argue the former are pretenders.

ChatteringMonkey

I would argue that while some people do this, they would be the people who are seeking status for itself. There are people who do such things without regards to status, and have had such status placed on them by society. It is the later who are the true saints and ascetics, while I would argue the former are pretenders. — Philosophim

I think they are all pretenders... if you look closely enough. Or if they are not, they will in some way have integrated the fact that they are also human in that way, and have some kind of ironic/playful relation to it.

BitconnectCarlos

↪Philosophim

I think what you're saying is often true, but it doesn't account for evil in its entirety. If you look at Ted Bundy and some other serial killers, for instance, you'll notice that there's a strong sexual component and in the tapes they'll describe their acts as something akin to an addiction. If you were to read the writings of Carl Panzram, another very active and sadistic serial killer of the early 20th century, you'd likely identity the driving force as nihilism and a deep seated rage rather than a drive for status. It's possible that a drive for status played some role, but if you look at their actual writings it'd be a stretch to describe it as the main one.

TheMadFool

Status is a very complex concept as everything I've tried to get a handle on has turned out to be. Let's just say there are two aspects to status. One, the roles and responsibilities that come with it - a rather romantic view I must add but not false enough to be not worth our attention. Two, the perks that come with status - you know, things like being guarded from harm, reverence, even open worship. As is evident then, there are two possible reasons to seek status and which reason motivates people will determine how well a person makes us of his/her status. By no means is this a complete picture of what status is but I feel it's something that's close to our hearts.

Philosophim

↪BitconnectCarlos

I think what you're saying is often true, but it doesn't account for evil in its entirety. — BitconnectCarlos

True. I believe the pursuit of status for its own gain is one of many roots of evil.

Philosophim

As is evident then, there are two possible reasons to seek status and which reason motivates people will determine how well a person makes us of his/her status. — TheMadFool

I agree with this. I feel the evil comes in when people solely pursue status for personal gain, and disregard the part where they have a duty and responsibility to others. Personal gain is also necessary for higher roles, as the person in higher status often has more demanded of them. Without any personal reward at all, few, if any people, would be willing to do it.

The pursuit of status for itself is a root of human evil

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