Humans are hardwired status-seeking machines. Our neural circuits, biochemistry, and cultural programming all converge on one objective: climbing the social hierarchy, no matter the cost.
This is precisely why societal role models matter so much. They define the rules of the status game everyone else plays. Change the role models, change the game. Change the game, change what people optimize for.
Think of it like a distributed system where every node (person) is running the same optimization algorithm, but the fitness function is set by whoever society elevates as successful. The entire network reconfigures based on those signals.
If your role models are billionaires who sleep 4 hours, everyone grinds themselves into the ground. If your role models prioritize longevity and cognitive performance, the game shifts entirely.
The meta-game isn't escaping status seeking. It's architecting which status games get played.
This is precisely why societal role models matter so much. They define the rules of the status game everyone else plays. Change the role models, change the game. Change the game, change what people optimize for.
Think of it like a distributed system where every node (person) is running the same optimization algorithm, but the fitness function is set by whoever society elevates as successful. The entire network reconfigures based on those signals.
If your role models are billionaires who sleep 4 hours, everyone grinds themselves into the ground. If your role models prioritize longevity and cognitive performance, the game shifts entirely.
The meta-game isn't escaping status seeking. It's architecting which status games get played.