Status Games

I recently had a conversation with a friend about how a guy apologized to him in private after being rude to him over a period in different groups. This made me think of the idea of status games that I read a while back in the book Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre by Keith Johnstone. The book touches upon various aspects of improv including the basic principles of theatre and improv, and exercises that one can use to improve their improv abilities. The idea of “status games” is especially interesting as it interprets interactions not just in improv and theatre but also in real life.

This is how I understand many interactions that we see in everyday life

1. When someone is rude to another person — Being rude to another person lowers the status of the person who one is rude against. Very often, this loss in status is transferred to the person who was being rude. This is generally the easiest way to gain status in an interaction
2. When someone is kind to another person — When someone is helpful and the help is acknowledged, this leads to an increase in status of the person who is being helpful and a loss in status of the person who is being helped. One should note here that the transfer of status only happens when the benefit of the help is acknowledged. Paradoxically, if the person being helped denies deriving any benefit and the observer agrees with their interpretation, the person who helps ends up losing status and the person who receives the help gains status
3. When interactions are neutral — This leads to an equilibrium with no status gained or lost

Coming back to the interactions in groups, most individuals play “status games” to try and elevate their own status in the group. There is generally an object which is derided which allows the group members to gain status at the cost of the object. This incentive is lowered in a more personal interaction. An apology is more likely to happen in private than in public for the same reason. So, the next time you notice people being ruder in public and kinder in private, just appreciate the role of status games being played in society.