Sober Living - A Status Symbol?

Status is ever present in human society. It has always determined how people are treated, what access to resources they have, and what influence they may have over others. How could sober living have become a status symbol?

In our modern era status is effectively the respect or prestige that we bestow on an individual, most commonly earned through effort, skill and attainment. 

If we wind the clock back, it wasn't very long ago that being of a very large size was a status symbol - it signalled that you had access to abundant resources. More recently, we might judge someone's status by how many people depended on them or how many houses they owned. In today's digital world, we are effectively all serfs living in a technocracy, beholden to technology and we are constantly plugged in. Today's modern status symbol is characterised less by material goods and instead by intangible riches, like time or digital privacy and the ability to disconnect. 

Time is a luxury. Life is fast and life is short. With time at your disposal you can now signal your status by showing off your energy and health, which you have time to invest in. Inactivity is a modern affliction for most who are attached to screens, who are often stressed, sedantary and reliant on time-poor habits like fast-food. Being fit and healthy shows that you are impervious to the environmental pressures that affect most people. 

Those who have achieved high status (e.g. the wealthy) and aspirational individuals spend their time and money on health screenings, personal trainers, recovery treatments and premium gyms. When it comes to movement these folks want intentional spaces, intelligent movement, in elevated environments. 

The professional culture of our modern day now celebrates discipline, consistency, delayed gratification and long-term thinking. Physical wellbeing is evidence of those traits. You may argue that the perception is not always accurate, but many will make that association. People intuitively understand that it takes dedication and sustained effort over months to appear fit. Looking fit and displaying strong posture is a visible form of status. 

The affluent of today are increasingly interested in longevity. It is a status flex to show signs of health and vitality, as much as it is to display the self-control and self-discipline required to achieve longevity. Aspiration has shifted away from consumption and status is now signalled by marathon running, healthy ageing, low biological age and showing ownership of your own social script. 

Choosing alcohol-free is now a commitment to better sleep and mental clarity. It also makes a statement of how you prioritise your energy and resources. 

This new status symbol is available to everyone, but is achieved by relatively few, which makes it exclusive. 

Come join our Movement Club with Lucky Saint on Monday 15 June at the Lucky Saint, for a 6:30pm start.

Address: 58 Devonshire St, London W1W 5EA

We can drop our bags at the Lucky Saint any time after 6pm and then jog to Regents Park for the movement at 6:30pm.

Come for the moves and stay for an alcohol-free huddle.

(*all done by 8:30pm)
Hope to meet you there,

Max