How to play the status game
When we think of the word status, we often refer to fame, money, and power. The game we play is how we get the fame that comes with the title, the job that makes the most money, or the position that gives us the most power.
That’s how we’ve been taught to play the game of life. It’s how it’s been modeled. It’s what’s rewarded.
It makes sense that we think if we win this game, we’ll be happy.
Interestingly, happiness is not really what we get.
When someone gets fame, fortune, and power, what actually happens is that it makes them seen (I heard this here). They are noticed and listened to. They matter.
And that is what we respond to. That’s what we really want.
We just want to be seen.
Being seen makes us feel real, like we exist. It makes us feel significant, like we matter. It makes us feel understood, like we are heard.
When we understand this, it empowers us to change how we play the status game.
This means measuring status by how we feel seen, taken seriously, and valued. This is not only limited to the select few who get to experience fame, make a lot of money, or compete for the few coveted titled positions.
We all get to play this game.
And it is up to us to play by those new rules, putting importance on giving others status by simply making them seen, taken seriously, and feel valued.
And it doesn't need to happen on a large, public scale. It can happen everyday in our workplaces. What matters is that we truly feel seen.
Let’s change the status game, because we all deserve to be seen.
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