What Is Status Anxiety?

What Is Status Anxiety?

British philosopher Alain de Botton defined status anxiety as the anxiety that arises from comparing yourself to others, and from fearing that you do not meet society’s standards of success. This leads to the feeling of being trapped in your current economic and social situation, which creates a sense of shame and can harm your mental and emotional health.

Some factors worsen status anxiety, such as the desire to be liked by others, trying to please arrogant people who look down on you, and lacking opportunities for growth and learning while most of your friends and acquaintances have these opportunities.

From Shame About Status to Anxiety About It

According to psychologists, the emotional root of anxiety is shame. Shame arises when a fundamental aspect of the self is judged as flawed, inadequate, or unacceptable. This appears when you fear that your friends and community will judge you negatively because you do not meet their idea of success. This is exactly what happens in status anxiety — when you worry about your status, you fear losing the respect of those around you.

This anxiety begins with comparisons to others and becomes a real problem when healthy comparison turns into shame and self-judgment. This can lead to distress, isolation, and psychological disorders.

Managing Status Anxiety

When status anxiety leads to overspending or unhealthy comparisons with others, you can follow some steps to reduce it:

1. Think about the downsides of this type of anxiety; people in this situation may spend money on things they don’t need, resort to loans and debt, suffer from low self-esteem, and in advanced stages, develop depression.
2. Define your own concept of success; completely forget what success means to your friends, family, or society as a whole. Focus on yourself and create your own definition of success. Take time to think about what success means in all areas of your life, and set the steps needed to achieve it.
3. Take some time before making a purchase; if you struggle with overspending, decide what you want to buy, then wait an entire day and see if you truly need it.
4. Control your social media use; these platforms can worsen status anxiety. You don’t have to completely isolate yourself or close all social media accounts, but try to remove any account that causes you distress, reduce the time you spend online, and remember that what you see is not the whole truth.