Why does David Geary think people are never satisfied with their status?

David Geary says status and survival were tightly linked for most of history: higher-ranking people and their children were likelier to survive plagues, famines and raids, which struck without warning. That made it adaptive to keep climbing as a buffer. Most Westerners now live safe, comfortable lives, but Geary says many cannot switch the drive off, which fuels social comparison and showing off online.

• Geary points to northern elephant seals, where 5 to 10% of males sire most offspring and some non-competing males simply live longer.
• Geary's advice is to ask what personal well-being really needs, rather than going into debt to keep up.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Modern Wisdom (2026-11-05). Read the whole episode summary →

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