Ask HN: What are some surprising ways to gain social status?

17 points by DevopsQuestions 3 years ago | 28 comments

lysergia 3 years ago |

- Enter politics

- Write a book

- Enter the priesthood

- Say something quotable that hasn't been said before and ensure it lives on after you die

Note: These are from the top of my head and are not guaranteed to work.

lucifargundam 3 years ago |

Gaslight everyone you know into believing you're important, and act like you solve everyone's problems each time something happens- without actually doing anything.

Then proceed to post about all your "honest", "hard" work on social media.

solarmist 3 years ago | |

This isn't surprising; this is disdainful.

JoeyBananas 3 years ago |

By genuinely not caring about social status

annyeonghada 3 years ago | |

This only works if you're already high status otherwise you will be labeled a "loser". Already burned once on that.

more_corn 3 years ago | |

This is called counter-signaling.

notenoughbeans 3 years ago |

Learn how to throw a great party.

tw98521358 3 years ago | |

You can’t throw a great party without people showing up. You need good people for good parties. The party is the proof of existing value

austinjp 3 years ago | | |

Start small, iterate. That's how you learn :)

solarmist 3 years ago | |

This isn't surprising, but I haven't thought about it as something to learn before...

Any advise?

notenoughbeans 3 years ago | | |

I think the surprising thing is that you can learn how to do it.

As for that, it depends on your what your social circle looks like. I learned how to cook a couple great meals and how to make a couple fancy cocktails. I invited a few friends over that told my other friends. I slowly integrated different people from different areas of my life and now I'm that guy that throws fun cocktail parties.

It's not the same sort of social status as driving a fancy care, but it has increase my social status amongst people I actually care about.

starwind 3 years ago |

Learn how to do something cool and dangerous and expensive. Race motorcycles, fly planes, climb mountains, go skydiving. People will want to talk to you

baxtr 3 years ago |

First, lower your status intentionally. Quit your job, burn your house.

Then, with the skills you have rise up again! You’ll end up in a better place.

solarmist 3 years ago | |

That is a good idea (maybe not literally), but I wonder if many people could stand the intervening period of lower status and money.

belter 3 years ago |

Go full ChatGPT and talk authoritatively about things you have no idea about.

bennysonething 3 years ago |

Pretend to be virtuous by posting about some issue on twitter. Even better find someone to publicly shame on twitter.

nh23423fefe 3 years ago | |

You're doing the same thing. You are pretending to be virtuous and shaming people you don't like. One assumes your virtue is, "telling it like it is"

bennysonething 3 years ago | | |

Possibly, but then you are now doing the same thing! Also my hacker news account is anonymous, on twitter accounts tend to be people posting as themselves. (I haven't posted on twitter before, mainly because of that).

MathMonkeyMan 3 years ago | | |

As are you, and so am I.

thenerdhead 3 years ago |

Be extremely negative and spread that negatively on social media. You're more likely to gain a following of people who dislike the same things as you than people who like the same things as you.

funemployed 3 years ago |

A surprising way to gain social status is to develop an independent sense of morals and treat people according to your ethical code.

MPlus88 3 years ago |

Get rich.

baxtr 3 years ago | |

I think you missed the "surprising" part.

beavis000 3 years ago |

Self publish a book

Group_B 3 years ago |

don’t be a dick

annyeonghada 3 years ago | |

In my experience people love douchebags, especially if they are attractive and talk with confidence about things they have no idea about.

solarmist 3 years ago | | |

It's not the douchebag part they love. It's the lack of fear/timidness that people love.