Illegitimate claims to status provoke envy and social sanction
Evidence
There is one final ramification of achieved status we must also consider: we resent individuals who claim or receive high status without meeting the requisite status criteria. Bertrand Russell writes, “Success should, as far as possible, be the reward of some genuine merit, and not of sycophancy or cunning.” The universal emotion envy arises from individuals believing that others of similar or lower status assets have unfairly received greater benefits. The legitimacy of any hierarchy hinges on status integrity—a collective belief that the ranking of individuals is fair, and that they receive greater benefits for legitimate reasons. Esteem should never be granted for free. Status-seeking individuals violate the principle of status integrity when they demand better treatment than they “deserve.” As a result, we treat unjustified claims to status with social disapproval, and violators’ social standing may go down as a result. The moment Timmy realizes that Lassie has been mistaken for the superior King’s Royal Lassie, he frets, “We’re in trouble. Real trouble.” Taking status integrity into account leads us to a central axiom for status desire: Individuals seek higher status—insofar as its pursuit doesn’t risk their current status level. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 92
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Consumer credit and mass prosperity enable widespread symbolic status counterfeiting. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 232; Status cheaters are punished only when their fraud exceeds conventional tolerances. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 234; Status groups punish fraudulent pretenders more harshly than ordinary members. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 233 (+7 more)
Broader Connections
- Precarious status triggers reflexive disparagement of others to defend rank.
#expands(0.85) - Insecurity about one’s status triggers reflexive disparagement of others.
#expands(0.82) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 115 - Scapegoating follows prior envy-based stereotypes of powerful groups, not chance
#corroborates(0.78) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1593 - Differential access by favored clients marks waiting as illegitimate to others.
#exemplifies(0.76) — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy, 717