The famous philosopher and essayist Alain de Botton shows us in this book one of the main sources of unhappiness in society: 'status anxiety'. He explains the origins of the phenomenon, the main values of the leading classes throughout history, the evolution to meritocracy, the dependency on the opinions of others and the tendency to cultivate high expectations in life.
The author also points to 'solutions' that may not resolve but at least reduce the phenomenon: philosophy, art (including tragedy and comedy), politics, christianity and bohemianism. He shows how society has always found 'alternative' ways of defining or interpreting success in the course of the past centuries. He uses many facts and figures from 18th and 19th century society life.
I also believe status anxiety and distrust have now become the key drivers of what I called 'hyperactivity' in society. (See my blog in dutch.) Hyperactivity is the source of the seven plagues that affect society today: overconsumption, traffic jams, stress, depressions, air pollution, family disintegration and social injustice.
