Roger V. Gould

I read this book some years ago as it was making its way, hand-to-hand, between a series of friends and relatives. It remains a forceful presence with respect to my understanding of human relationships and as a touchstone for my work as an actor. Conflict is, of course, central to our experience with others – as it is to our own inner lives. Gould’s focus on symmetrical social status as a harbinger of conflict is, frankly, revelatory. For most people, acknowledging the importance of social status in our own lives is verboten; however, it inarguably drives our behavior. There are constantly stories in the news of confrontations over seemingly irrelevant matters escalating to murderous proportions; Gould offers a plausible explanation as to why these cases are the rule rather than the exception. There are deep and abiding existential reasons for our anger and our propensity to fight, and this book touches very near their heart.… (meer)