Processing your request, Please wait....We care about our status for a simple reason: because most people tend to be nice to us according to the amount of status we have (it is no coincidence that the first question we tend to be asked by new acquaintances is ‘ What do you do?’).
With the help of philosophers, artists and writers, this documentary examines the origins of Status Anxiety, before revealing ingenious ways in which people have learnt to overcome their worries in their search for happiness.
It aims not only to be entertaining, but wise and helpful as well.
Released 6 March, 2004. 150 min (3 episodes in one playlist.) Writer: Alain de Botton. TV documentary series.
“work = providing you with the money to live” = best philosophy :)
Excellent doco, only ppl that will not like are the ones that its aimed at ;D
Could not watch more than a few minutes of the first episode. It was like a bad undergraduate essay. One idea, hammered to death and a bizarre idea too, drawing uncritically on a weird reading of C18th French political philosophy to present the thesis that (a) people in democracies are less happy than people in dictatorships because (b) they are overcome by envy of their betters and expect to have or be as fulfilled as them whereas in dictatorships (like the state of France before the revolution) the poor accept their lot and are therefore happier. Whoa, yeah! Let’s bring back slavery. Everyone was happier back on them ol’ cotton fields. Absolute crud.
Wow….you really didn’t watch the film, did you…or if you did you really didn’t get it…wow…no, I don’t think its the best documentary I’ve ever seen and as a historian I’m aware of the texts and contexts. However, I am stunned that this is what you got from it.
Haaaa dumb marican!! The savers of the world! Just hope that when its gonna be the time for us to rescue them, cause it will come, the world will be in the mood for them!!
I always find it amusing how people who insult other peoples’ intelligence don’t take the time to proof read their comments before posting it. ^_^ The host of this documentary, and the author of the book “Status Anxiety”, is clearly British not a US citizen. You should also stop using such a broad word as American. American is anyone within the Americas, which includes Canadians, anyone within Central and South American nations and even certain parts of Arctic and Antarctica. It’s not just the people within United States that are Americans. Please learn basic Geography and Anthropology dumb @ss!
The “Americas” may include more than one country, but in colloquial speech it means the USA… In social geography there is a big difference between a Canadian and an American. Just like how many from Scotland would be offended if you called them “British”, most people not from the states would not call themselves American… What do you propose people from the USA call themselves?
This is true (about the Scottish people) but to extend your point, why single them out? English people, Welsh people and either kind of Irish people wouldn’t appreciate being called British either, since each have their own distinct countries, namely England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Eire. Culturally they are all very different too.
Now if people from Asia are grouped together as Asian and people from Africa are grouped together as African and people from Europe are referred to as Europeans, do we then refer to Canadians as North Americans in order to designate their continental grouping? If not, then what are they suddenly not a part of North America the continent?
True… I’m just more personally aware of the conflict between Scots and the English, since way back when some of my family lived in Scotland.
I agree that we are part of North America, but we call ourselves Canadians; much like how someone from China or Japan would call themselves “Japanese” or “Chinese” (or segment themselves into groups based on what part of the country they are from, due to cultural conflicts within)
Why anyone would call someone from Eire or Northern Ireland ‘British’ I have no idea.
Indeed Ferg – nor yet people from, England, Scotland or Wales, and yet in all cases they do in some parts of the world.
@Maestra Sierra
Sorry buddy, but American has only ever referred to people from the USA…don’t group everybody else from the general area into that crappy country. Now if North American is used than yeah that’s more general. But the word American has always been used to refer to those from the USA and not from Canada or Central/South America.
So before calling others dumb asses, perhaps check your facts dumb ass.
something dodgey with these links….
Hi, I’ve changed the documentary to a friendlier video host – YouTube.
Almost a life changing documentary.
A comment after watching part 1 (so sorry in advance if what I say appears in later parts – got no way to check it atm):
In all the talk concerning Christianity and attitude towards wealth and success, one quite important point is missing. Among the cornerstones of the notion of American dream was the Puritan tradition of the first settlers; Puritans adopted the belief from Calvinism that whether you are blessed (i.e. intended for salvation) or not (i.e. for damnation) is manifested in your success in earthly life. In other words, if you are well-off, it means that God likes you. This notion motivated Puritan settlers to work harder to achieve success and thus to prove that they are the “elect”.
And it still goes on nowadays – so it’s not true that the contemporary rush for success distorted Christian values (if anything, the original Christian values became distorted centuries ago…. but that’s a different story) – it was shaped by these values.
You’re right on the modern concept of Christianity. However in biblical times, Jesus wasn’t much into the idea of accumulating or creating wealth. He was very much like Diogenes, who preached (years before Jesus) on the honor and greatness of simplicity and laziness. He believed … “Why work… why have a career… why put all that time which is only for the sake of wealth which will all pass away or for pleasures that are fleeting. Why not just enjoy the moment and live simply.” Jesus would say something along the lines of …”Consider the birds in the air… they neither sow or weep yet my father (God) feeds them.” Again your right once more. Christianity is distorted, it’s the reason why I dislike and don’t respect religions.