Alain De Botton's Status Anxiety

2132 Words9 Pages
“Lovelessness” Throughout history society has proven that sexual love is a more accepted desire and celebrated by many. Compared to worldly love which is less acceptable to desire. Worldly love is based on approval from others and more pubic in nature. However there has been a shift in society whereas today a worldly love has become insatiable to many. In De Botton’s “Status Anxiety” he successfully argues that people in today’s society are defined by two great love stories. One being the story of our pursuit for sexual love, this is well known and well followed, its impulses form the core of music and poetry, it is socially accepted and celebrated. The second, a story of our quest for love from the world, De Botton says “is a more secret and shameful tale.” When revealed it tends to be in cutting terms, as something of interest largely to envious or flawed people. (De Botton, 2004, p. 5) Does our desire for status trump our need for love? Throughout history most adults would agree our lives are defined by our search for sexual love. Historically many were too ashamed or embarrassed to admit their need for worldly love. But today times are changing people are not ashamed of their desire to be loved by the world. Society today has become a “look at me” society, it…show more content…
Historically having a partner added to your status was important but not with the same vigor it once did. There were real consequences of neglect by others they may of thought you to be a failure if you were not married. Today many couples choose not to marry so they can each keep their own identities. Many women do not take their husbands last names so they can maintain the success they have achieved thus
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