Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Choose your status game wisely

ofdollarsanddata.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

161–170 of 344 posts

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#161

Post by balaji1 »

LAC-Tech wrote: post #60
balaji1 wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you wish you had more of in terms of status? Or where you wish you had followed the crowd?

Just wish I'd played the game more. Focused on grades, internships, prestigious companies. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a sob story. I'm just very career & success focused in my 30s, and was too school for cool up until my mid 20s.

Not about a sob story. But it seems like a lot of people wish they had not been too cool for school. Many times, too cool for school phase also includes rebelling against parents.

There is a lack of enough guidance or mentors for youngsters. So if the youngster doesn't have enough self-discipline and a vision, he/she is going to be confused. And a mentor has to be a wholistic mentor for many facets of life.

Also not enough parents are looking out for their kids through adulthood and having their backs. Elders are not able to allocate enough time for their adult children. Their priorities are spread too thin. They struggle to communicate with the children.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#162

Post by diatone »

gretch wrote: post #141
anp wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love the quote, but I'll offer another perspective. I had a pretty significant physical transformation over the last few years. It's the result of work I did and I feel very proud of what I've built. But! I did it after starting to work for a big tech company. The company covered weekly therapy where I ended up doing a lot of work on my relationship with food and physical activity, the company subsidized a personal…

You’re saying that having a lot of money helped you have a great body. That’s true of course but the relationship is also true in reverse. You can leverage a great body into making a lot of money. Great examples are Arnold or the Rock who became big action movie stars based on their physique. Also, of course athletes. So I don’t think “money is the key to success in every other aspect of life” is true since the relat…

Nitpick: it’s not as straightforward to leverage a great body towards money as it is to leverage money towards a great body. Arnold and Dwayne Johnson are outliers. Many athletes struggle financially.

For other reasons I agree with your end point in that money isn’t strictly necessary for success everywhere else, but please don’t suggest that money isn’t uniquely useful when put to the task.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#163

Post by bruce511 »

williamtrask wrote: post #73
ZYinMD wrote: post #69

It's a sad truth but for most of us, when it comes to "decide which status game to play", you're simply aiming for money no matter what you choose. Money is the overarching metric that already incorporates everything else. The "weightlifting status" or the "content creator status" mentioned in the article are just money status in disguise. Ask yourself: if you won a big lottery tomorrow, would you still keep doing wh…

Overnight fame can be just as disruptive

I don't get the attraction of fame at all. Money, yes, money allows me to do what I _want_ to do, it would give me time that I otherwise have to spend working.

But fame _reduces_ what I can do. Famous people can't just pop down the local for a pint (in whatever city they happen to be in that week), famous people attract paparazzi - they're harrased by strangers...

Like I say, I don't get the appeal..

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#164

Post by adamredwoods »

ZYinMD wrote: post #69

It's a sad truth but for most of us, when it comes to "decide which status game to play", you're simply aiming for money no matter what you choose. Money is the overarching metric that already incorporates everything else. The "weightlifting status" or the "content creator status" mentioned in the article are just money status in disguise. Ask yourself: if you won a big lottery tomorrow, would you still keep doing wh…

It requires a lot money to be able to be the 'top' of any status game.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#165

Post by unmole »

gota wrote: post #96
gretch wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arnold has a really good quote about this: "A well-built physique is a status symbol. It reflects you worked hard for it; no money can buy it. You cannot borrow it, you cannot inherit it, you cannot steal it. You cannot hold onto it without constant work. It shows discipline, it shows self-respect, it shows patience, work ethic, and passion. That is why I do what I do." Really makes you think. Not a whole lot of thin…

Being cultured and well read is very similar, I think The main difference is that a physique is more immediately recognized; all you have to do to recognize Arnold is huge is look at him. But you'd have to listen some (and have enough cultural baggage yourself) to recognize that Chomsky is intelligent Also - perhaps as a consequence - being physically fit is objective. Who would argue Arnold is _not_ huge? But I'm su…

> being physically fit is objective

The perception of what constitutes fit is to a large extent subjective. A steroid and clen using bodybuilder with fit. But their blood panel and cardiogram will probably say something else entirely.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#166

Post by adamredwoods »

powerslacker wrote: post #140

> I know some of you will say “Just ignore the status game altogether,” but this is easier said than done. Like many other animals, we are biologically wired to respond to status. Ignorance is not the way out. > The way out is building a solid foundation of status in multiple things. It’s about becoming diversified in your life, not just your portfolio. You don't have to pursue status. You can be aware of your innate…

Or better yet, don't let social status affect your mental status. I believe contentness and acceptance is the better path.

I feel this article was specifically written for people that care about their social status. It can be healthy to be somewhat competitive, but unhealthy when it becomes obsession.

The author also fails to recognize the people who fail trying to reach this 'status' objective. What happens then? Try to find a new status to conquer? Why? Where does it end? Tonya Harding?

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#167

Post by rufus_foreman »

chadcmulligan wrote: post #149
angarg12 wrote: post #59

Not sure how this will sit with the HN crowd, but a couple of years back I got into menswear, and I derive some pleasure from being the "best dressed guy" at the office. Beyond personal opinions on that particular hobby, I can confirm first hand that living at the intersection of two or more personas (e.g. a programmer that dresses well) brings a peculiar sense of joy. I might no have much status in either of those c…

I have observed multiple times if I 'suit up' at work it's like I'm wearing a shield, it's a strange game. It has to be a good suit though, naturally enough. Edit: this is when dealing with the business folk that is, techies don't care.

Also good to do it from time to time out of nowhere and then take a long lunch.

If they want to keep you, you'll get a raise.

You'll probably also want to make sure your Linked In profile has been updated recently.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#168

Post by gumby »

pdonis wrote: post #80
hallway_monitor wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think maybe GP was talking about what Bill Gates chose to do with his money and influence once he had them. In terms of the number of lives saved and improved, Bill Gates has had more impact than most of us could ever hope to.

> In terms of the number of lives saved and improved But Bill Gates did that after he already had status. He didn't gain status by doing that.

He was trying to launder his reputation after all the stuff that came out in the trials, his connections to Epstein (which went back to before E’s first arrest) etc.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#169

Post by rufus_foreman »

swagasaurus-rex wrote: post #16

Who is more cool? Somebody who makes it clear they're wealthy or well connected or attractive or smart or etc... Or somebody who is upbeat and friendly with no desire to display anything about themselves? There's a minority of people who go by their own compass. The things that gratify status seekers don't do it for them. That's not to say they don't have needs. They need friends, stimulation, hobbies, achievements.…

I just can't stand upbeat and friendly. So, my answer would be false dichotomy.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#170

Post by rufus_foreman »

anp wrote: post #107
gretch wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arnold has a really good quote about this: "A well-built physique is a status symbol. It reflects you worked hard for it; no money can buy it. You cannot borrow it, you cannot inherit it, you cannot steal it. You cannot hold onto it without constant work. It shows discipline, it shows self-respect, it shows patience, work ethic, and passion. That is why I do what I do." Really makes you think. Not a whole lot of thin…

I love the quote, but I'll offer another perspective. I had a pretty significant physical transformation over the last few years. It's the result of work I did and I feel very proud of what I've built. But! I did it after starting to work for a big tech company. The company covered weekly therapy where I ended up doing a lot of work on my relationship with food and physical activity, the company subsidized a personal…

There's a lot of muscle being built in prison cells at this very moment with no gym equipment whatsoever.

If you want to do it, you can do it.

You don't need to be granted privileges. No one can stop you.

Post reply on HN