Knowing one’s social position is a deep human psychological need

Evidence

With status as a universal phenomenon, everyone on earth has a specific status position—both within their local community and as part of the “global village.” Awareness of that position is integral to our lives. The anthropologist Edmund Leach writes, “All human beings have a deep psychological need for the sense of security which comes from knowing where you are. But ‘knowing where you are’ is a matter of recognising social as well as territorial position.” And as we think about our place in the hierarchy, one thing becomes very clear: higher status is extremely desirable. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 58