The problem is if you really believe in a society where those who merit to get to the top, get to the top, you’ll also, by implication … believe in a society where those who deserve to get to the bottom also get to the bottom and stay there.

I am conscious of trying to stretch the boundaries of non-fiction writing. It's always surprised me how little attention many non-fiction writers pay to the formal aspects of their work.

Status Anxiety: A worry, so pernicious as to be capable of ruining extended stretches of our lives, that we are in danger of failing to conform to the ideals of success laid down by our society and that we may as a result be stripped of dignity and respect; a worry that we are currently occupying too modest a rung or are about to fall to a lower one.

A 'good job' can be both practically attractive while still not good enough to devote your entire life to.

as the determinants of high status keep shifting, so, too, naturally, will the triggers of status anxiety be altered.

A good half of the art of living is resilience.

It's clear to me that there is no good reason for many philosophy books to sound as complicated as they do.