Status is an intermediary step between behavior and true goals. In some cases status might be an effective part of the path in actualizing the real goal (for ex

Status is an intermediary step between behavior and true goals. In some cases status might be an effective part of the path in actualizing the real goal (for example, community organizing). In many cases status distracts and becomes a goal of its own, much like money and pleasure tend to do in our lives. As a personal exercise I find it useful to trace my behavior to end goals (and back the other way), and then disregard false goals/traps while problem solving other obstacles. I suspect the common real goal on the other side of status from one’s behavior is to be loved. All humans share this goal with widely varying strategies, and some of those strategies expose the individual to the status trap. The most effective means to overcome this trap is to accomplish the real goal, and in the case of being loved one convenient solution is to appreciate the people in our lives, from acquaintances to close family. From appreciation comes kindness and openness, and from there we experience love and feelings of belonging. Status then becomes either irrelevant, or a tool one can now effectively wield.