The Status Game

Storr’s argument that humans are playing status games more or less continuously, that they come in three kinds — dominance, virtue and success — and that most group behaviour, including the ugly kind, follows from which game is being played.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the replies to @SpencrGreenberg asking what non-fiction book taught you the most about how the world really works — a crowd-sourced list Kyle recovered by hand and saved. Kyle’s line carries the author, so identification is unambiguous.

Where I saw it: In the replies to @SpencrGreenberg asking “What non-fiction book taught you the most about how the world (or how humanity or society) really works?” (June 5, 2025). Kyle recovered the reply list by hand and saved it to his “Books To Read” Apple Note; the full transcribed list lives on A question for you — What non-fiction… (tweet).

Connections

• A question for you — What non-fiction… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• People Over Politics — the portfolio idea this sits closest to.