Clever connections in the article. Thanks from those of us who don't follow the White Lotus to get clued in on the pop-culture philosophy du jour. I'm going to scapegoat some Stoics to explain my lateness to the Girard kick. Would it be mimetic of me to desire your pen's ability to craft interdisciplinary riffs at whim?
Just want to drop a thanks for offering free access (graduate student living on fumes). Love your writing and thinking. I think about the above a lot, and have long been trying to disengage from this game. It is a sneaky one though, and from an IFS perspective, these status seeking protector parts likely lurk in our shadows/unconscious trying to keep us safe. How to individually and collectively bring them into the light, turn them over, and reflect on their personal and global impact.
In the book club we are reading 'The Dawn of everything' in which the authors describe native Americans wealth and riches being for prestige only.
No transforming money to power or services. Basic needs were shared. Wealth was used to brag, or to compensate for when someone of the lineage/tribe committed a crime.
That comes with more depth when complemented with what you share here.
I wonder if we can use it to our advantage on an individual basis too. Guiding ourselves to who we admire, our peers and circle of friends, and what things we use as a basis of comparison.
There are studies that quote how people are healthier based on their perception of doing more excercise that their peers (which apparently is a lot more impactful than the actual amount done)
"Absolute numbers matter to us way less than relative status. We'd rather take less (stuff) to feel more (status)"
Nailed that one. Evolution privileged the status drive because primate groups need competent authorities (of all genders) to coordinate protective actions from external threats, manage intergroup conflict, and restore order and harmony following tense situations. It's a shit job, really, but needs doing. Evolution also built in checks and balances to ensure INCOMPETENT authorities generally didn't rise to power or stay there for too long; essentially by limiting the size of groups by providing an upper limit on social cohesion, ensuring that those thirsting for power would be shamed, exiled, or killed by the rest of the group if they became abusive or sociopathic.
Then we made civilization and our status drive got hit with a tidal wave of strangers to compete against, producing one hell of a desire distortion field, and making it easy for the power mongers to put us against each other instead
thanks for writing and yes, great suggestion on riffing on indigenous ways. Braiding Sweetgrass has additional examples, as does Sand Talk!
Clever connections in the article. Thanks from those of us who don't follow the White Lotus to get clued in on the pop-culture philosophy du jour. I'm going to scapegoat some Stoics to explain my lateness to the Girard kick. Would it be mimetic of me to desire your pen's ability to craft interdisciplinary riffs at whim?
Just want to drop a thanks for offering free access (graduate student living on fumes). Love your writing and thinking. I think about the above a lot, and have long been trying to disengage from this game. It is a sneaky one though, and from an IFS perspective, these status seeking protector parts likely lurk in our shadows/unconscious trying to keep us safe. How to individually and collectively bring them into the light, turn them over, and reflect on their personal and global impact.
In the book club we are reading 'The Dawn of everything' in which the authors describe native Americans wealth and riches being for prestige only.
No transforming money to power or services. Basic needs were shared. Wealth was used to brag, or to compensate for when someone of the lineage/tribe committed a crime.
That comes with more depth when complemented with what you share here.
I wonder if we can use it to our advantage on an individual basis too. Guiding ourselves to who we admire, our peers and circle of friends, and what things we use as a basis of comparison.
There are studies that quote how people are healthier based on their perception of doing more excercise that their peers (which apparently is a lot more impactful than the actual amount done)
"Absolute numbers matter to us way less than relative status. We'd rather take less (stuff) to feel more (status)"
Nailed that one. Evolution privileged the status drive because primate groups need competent authorities (of all genders) to coordinate protective actions from external threats, manage intergroup conflict, and restore order and harmony following tense situations. It's a shit job, really, but needs doing. Evolution also built in checks and balances to ensure INCOMPETENT authorities generally didn't rise to power or stay there for too long; essentially by limiting the size of groups by providing an upper limit on social cohesion, ensuring that those thirsting for power would be shamed, exiled, or killed by the rest of the group if they became abusive or sociopathic.
Then we made civilization and our status drive got hit with a tidal wave of strangers to compete against, producing one hell of a desire distortion field, and making it easy for the power mongers to put us against each other instead