Will Storr Books
Will Storr is an award-winning writer and journalist. His work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian and The Sunday Times.
Known for: Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us, The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better, The Status Game: How Social Position Governs Everything, The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It
Books by Will Storr
Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us
In this thought-provoking work, Will Storr explores the cultural and psychological roots of Western self-obsession. He traces the evolution of the concept of the self from ancient philosophy through m...
The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better
In this incisive and thought-provoking work, Will Storr explores the psychological and neuroscientific foundations of storytelling. He reveals how stories shape our identities, beliefs, and cultures, ...
The Status Game: How Social Position Governs Everything
Why do people chase promotions, obsess over likes, defend beliefs with tribal intensity, or feel crushed by exclusion? In The Status Game, journalist and author Will Storr argues that beneath these ev...
The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It
In this book, Will Storr explores how the human drive for status shapes our behavior, relationships, and societies. Drawing on psychology, anthropology, and history, he argues that the pursuit of stat...
Key Insights from Will Storr
Ancient Roots
Our story begins in ancient Greece, where the Western concept of the self was first born. The Greeks, particularly the philosophers of Athens, believed that human beings possessed an inner essence that could and should be perfected. For Plato, the rational soul was our divine component, tasked with ...
From Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us
Christian Influence
Then came Christianity, overturning Greek ideals in revolutionary ways yet preserving their intensity. Where the Greeks saw perfection in physical form and worldly achievement, Christianity redefined perfection as moral purity before God. It transformed the heroic self into a humble one. The Christi...
From Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us
The Human as Storyteller
Long before we had writing, we had stories. Our ancestors sat around fires, sharing accounts of danger, triumph, and love. Those early tales weren’t idle chatter—they were evolution’s means of survival. Through story, humans learned to predict others’ behavior, infer cause and effect, and navigate t...
From The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better
The Self as a Story
If the brain evolved to tell stories, then it follows that our sense of identity must be one too. The self, I argue, is a story—a constantly edited draft that gives coherence to our experiences. Our thoughts, emotions, and memories are organized into a narrative of ‘me.’ This insight transforms how...
From The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better
Status Is an Ancient Survival Tool
What if our hunger for recognition is not vanity, but biology? Storr’s central insight is that status is not a modern obsession created by capitalism, celebrity culture, or social media. It is an ancient survival system built into human nature. Our ancestors lived in small groups where survival depe...
From The Status Game: How Social Position Governs Everything
Our Brains Are Wired for Rank
A change in social position can alter your emotions as powerfully as hunger or pleasure. Storr explains that status is deeply embedded in the brain’s reward and threat systems. When our social standing rises, we often experience excitement, confidence, and motivation. When it falls, we may feel anxi...
From The Status Game: How Social Position Governs Everything
About Will Storr
Will Storr is an award-winning writer and journalist. His work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian and The Sunday Times. He is also the author of several acclaimed books on psychology, creativity, and human behavior, and teaches storytelling and writing workshops internationally.
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Will Storr is an award-winning writer and journalist. His work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian and The Sunday Times.
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