We constantly try to be better than the people around us – but are reluctant to admit it, says author W. David Marx. Why striving for status is such a taboo, what makes a good status symbol and how to show it to the nouveau riche.
W. David Marx reports on a video call from Tokyo. The American has lived in Japan for 20 years and writes about what was once called the “subtle differences” in the famous analysis of the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu: the codes and behaviors with which classes and milieus differentiate themselves from one another. Marx studied East Asian studies at Harvard and has worked as a brand consultant for companies such as Levis’s, Hermès and Nike. In his book “Status and Culture” he examines how the pursuit of status determines our lives.