"This is If merit, not rank, determines social value and achievement, as is meant to be the case in our country, then your average person will be confronted every day with the question of why they haven't experienced greater success—a toxic recipe for self-righteousness, shame, anxiety, and self-consciousness. Especially when, thanks to our deranged media environment, the apparent success of others—including those we consider undeserving—is constantly in view. Why should they be so lucky, we might ask ourselves. Why isn't my life like theirs? Why should I have to change my behavior to accommodate them? Why don't people respect or value me?"
Alan Elrod at The Bulwark argues that "Trump's Secret Weapon Has Always Been Status Anxiety."
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