Status
We constantly assess where we stand relative to others. The brain monitors status like a vital sign.
Threat & Reward
| Response | Trigger | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Threat | Feeling undervalued, inferior, or invisible | Stress, defensiveness, disengagement |
| Reward | Recognition, praise, promotion, visible progress | Motivation, confidence, loyalty |
Status isn't vanity — it's a survival mechanism. In ancestral environments, low status meant less access to resources. The brain still operates on this wiring.
Two Kinds of Status
Here's the distinction that matters:
| Ego-Driven Status | Earned Status | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Claimed, performed, signalled | Given by others through contribution |
| Mechanism | Compare, compete, hoard | Contribute, share, compound |
| Duration | Fragile — requires constant maintenance | Durable — reputation compounds |
| Effect on others | Diminishes (zero-sum) | Elevates (positive-sum) |
| Effect on loops | Blocks goodwill | Generates goodwill |
Ego-driven status is the biggest blocker of both feedback loops. It makes the inner loop dishonest — you stop questioning yourself because your identity feels threatened. It makes the outer loop extractive — you keep score instead of letting value flow.
Earned status is the opposite. When you contribute without keeping score, status arrives as a byproduct. The paradox: the less you chase status, the more you earn.
Foundations
Status maps to deeper human needs:
| Framework | Element | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Human Needs | Learning | Capability to grow — mastery increases status |
| Te Whare Tapa Wha | Taha hinengaro | Mind — thoughts, feelings, self-perception |
| Behavioral Biases | Social proof, Authority | We follow high-status signals |
The Leverage
Products and teams that serve status well:
- Make progress visible — show them they're advancing
- Create earned recognition — titles, badges, levels that mean something
- Enable mastery — skill growth is portable status
- Avoid public failure — protect egos, criticism in private
- Reward contribution, not performance — what you gave, not what you took
The Test
Ask yourself: am I optimizing for how I'm perceived, or for what I'm contributing?
If the answer is perception, the inner loop is running on ego. Switch the fuel to goodwill and watch what compounds.
Context
- Goodwill — The fuel that replaces ego
- Gratitude — The signal of earned status
- Foundations — Where status sits in human needs
- Social Proof — Why we follow what others do
- Players — Relative position in coordination games
What would raise your status in a way that compounds — for everyone, not just you?