SALVADOR DALI WE LIVE IN A CULTURE OF ACHIEVEMENT. All cultures give some people higher status than others. Sometimes this status is ascribed, on the basis of education, age, class, or gender. You get status by being who you are; ascribed status does not need justification. In most of Europe and the United States, status is achieved. The more you accomplish, the more status you have. Because others tend to judge us on our achievements, we also tend to see ourselves in terms of what we achieve. Our self-image and self-esteem get linked to how successful we think we are, and how successful other people think we are. Success is important. Failure can be humiliating. Failure means loss of status, so we are afraid of failing. This can cause a lot of trouble. We are not defined by our achievements. We are defined by our actions. There are many forces at work to make us feel that we are not good enough. Advertising is designed to make people feel insecure about everything—their achievements, weight, looks, and social status.
