Main content

Episode 3

Episode 3 of 5

Status. We don’t like to talk about it. Carl Honoré brings it out into the open and asks whether we can use it as a force for good.

It shapes every social interaction. But we’d rather not talk about it. It’s shameful to seek it. But we want it.

Status has always been the elephant in the room, our dirty little secret. Now Carl Honoré is going to bring it out into the open. He argues that status is changing in the modern world and not always for the better. Can we use it as a force for good?

When asked to explain what drove us to achieve a particular feat, we talk of our desire to change the world, help others, learn something new, overcome a challenge, have fun, make money or simply gain more control over our lives. No one ever says: "I did it to enhance my status."

This reticence is hardly surprising. Status cuts to the core of who we are and our place in the world. Of how others see us and how we see ourselves.

Talking about this feels awkward, messy, exposing, embarrassing. Like sharing a sexual problem. So status remains the driver that dare not speak its name.

This series will break that taboo and ask the big questions: Why is status so important? How does it work? How can we harness it to live better lives? Could a new approach to status help us tackle the epic challenges facing humankind at the start of the 21st century?

Written and Presented by Carl Honoré
Producer: Tom Woolfenden
Executive Producer: Kirsten Lass
A Loftus Media production for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4

Available now

14 minutes

Last on

Thu 1 Aug 2024 00:30

Broadcasts

  • Wed 31 Jul 2024 11:45
  • Thu 1 Aug 2024 00:30