I do not recall I have ever used status as a surrogate for individual expression. I have no status to speak of. The people I choose to surround myself with would never be impressed by anything I had or had achieved.
If anything I care to little what others think of me and I have a saying "it does not matter if you know I am right. I know it and thats all that matters."
I know several people that have more wealth that I most likley ever will, they are unhappy. I know people that live beyond their means. They are unhappy and stressed out because they will never get out from under the debt. I have one friend that works a retail job, lives in a tiny rented shotgun house with her husband and two kids, and drives a 10 year old minvan. She is the happiest person I know. Her children are recpectful of adults, good students, and even as teens pleasant to be around. These are the kind of people that should be role models. They dont care about status and this is why they are happy. If you are lucky to have family and friends that love you well thats the highest status I can think of and the rest is just distraction.
In the story The Umbrella of Freedom, Ana Miyares was a much different character thanTim Bratcher. She moved to a smaller less expensive apartment to take the job she felt strongly about. This is not always easy or even possible to do. Not many people would take a job with less to offer you financially. That is the opposite of what is normal to do. Her decision to do what she felt was best seems crazy to many people but who am I to say it was not the right choice? Maybe her choice to do a job that she felt helped others is all the status she needs.
I like that you don't try to impress people, it's kind of like you know who your are and like yourself that way and don't really care what others think. That's admirable, because so many people are trying to live up to the expectations of others and not thinking about what makes them happy.
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