According to De Botton, "status anxiety" is a 21st-century phenomenon which is a result of capitalism, democracy, and an ostensibly egalitarian society, and is prevalent in countries where an inequality in income is evident.

Status anxiety can be defined as the constant tension or fear of being perceived as "unsuccessful" by the society in materialistic terms.

Meritocracy is a society that believes that only the talented and the meritorious will end up at the top of the social ladder.

He concluded that motivational speakers conducted their speeches to induce status anxiety among individuals.

Historian Richard Hofstadter in his 1965 book The Paranoid Style in American Politics used the term "status anxiety" to help explain the origins of the Progressive Movement, following earlier usage by others.