26d • 💬 General discussion
Being Low Status Can Kill You
I recently heard about the Whitehall Studies. It was a longitudinal study of the UK civil service. They thought that there would be more health problems the higher people were promoted through the ranks, but they found the opposite. We already knew that those with more resources tend to live longer and healthier lives, mostly because they can afford healthcare, have time to really heal, and usually have more social support.
In the Whitehall study, they found that those with the worst health outcomes were always people at the lowest rung of a centuries-old hierarchy. The theory had been that heart attacks were caused by stress of responsibility, but the 12-year study proved otherwise. They also found that this was true even after controlling for lifestyle factors; the gap would not close. They found that chemicals like cortisol, rather than ebbing and flowing, remained stubbornly high. They also found that resting heart rates were higher, leading to heart attack and stroke. Being low status, without much control over your life, and low agency is deadly. I wrote about this in my most recent book as well (DM for details).
I found this to be quite poignant. Speaking as a brown, Southern, autistic man, I'm always at the bottom of any social hierarchy (hello from the basement!), and I know that autistic people tend to have dramatically shorter lifespans, with an average life span of 55. There are a variety of factors in that, including the ability to care for oneself or support oneself. Things get so bad that the suicide rate is rather high, too. I think a small part of this is the fact that most autistic people are not even registering on the social hierarchy, much less being on top of it or controlling it. A life of low status means fewer (if any) opportunities and far higher stress, leading to further breakdown of mental health issues and the resulting physical issues (on top of the comorbidities that come with autism). I can't help but wonder how many years I am losing because I will always be low status, no matter what I do or how successful I am.
For normal people, seeking status is instictive and now we know, vitally important to good living and a good life. So the fact that you're here and pulling together the necessary pieces to get status, you're improving your life and your health.
As it turns out, having status, seeking status, and doing what MoA is all about are helping you live longer and improve your health. Gym is helping too, but the real story lies in achieving the status. That's what is going to really give you the longevity. Being fit is great; having status is better.
So if you're reading this, take it as encouragement, advice, and validation. You're on the right path. You're doing the right thing.
Onward and Upward.
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Being Low Status Can Kill You
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