Also, there will always be higher status people around you. If you're a successful doctor, and move around in fancy doctor circles, you will know more accomplished doctors, directors of famous hospitals or whatever. You can always be bitter from envy if you're blinded by the status game. The struggle never ends, there's no "arriving". Software dev salaries (in the US) let you live way beyond material needs and allows tremendous luxuries (relative to other times and places).

It's a self inflicted mental suffering that people bring on themselves. Instead of enjoying that high wealth they fume about why they aren't as impressive as fancy lawyers, ceos, politicians and doctors...

This. How did you help people around you? Did you use your network to enhance theirs? Did you lift as you climbed? Is your institution or organization (if you are working for one) the better for having you?

Not all software engineers make this much, just in select areas FYI.

Sure, but it's enough for "quite good" food, living space and entertainment.

We're arguing about status here, so when you're satisfied with the money but not with the status.

I think there's a lot more to it than status, but I do see your point.

Talking about your job at parties is way down the list of reasons social status matters. It's a fair point that people shouldn't make all their decisions with status in mind, but it is also wrong to belittle it as a consideration.

What are some of the other reasons? Suppose you could make $500k/year either by being a cardiologist or by cleaning out septic tanks. What advantages does the $500k from cardiology get you that the $500k from cleaning septic tanks does not? (Aside from impressing people at parties)

Higher status friends, marrying into a "better family" and so on. Your family (especially more distant) will respect you more.

Also, I think a major elephant in the room: some people just feel better about themselves and sleep better, knowing that they are a big dog and can feel justified in looking down on others.

There is a great quote from A defense lawyer in the HBO show “The Undoing”:

“You know, I should say up front that, in my experience, doctors tend to be assholes. The reason they tend to be assholes is because they get to be. They're doctors.”

Cleaner hands and a lot less shit?

It would be more educational to share a few of those things that actually matter. Why exactly does social status matter?

Yeah but you'll take home way more dates at those parties.

That's fine if you're OK with the kinds of dates that go home with you because of your impressive-sounding job.

I don't think that's as shallow as you make it sound. I'd rather have respect for being a successful adult who exercises a skill to create value, for doing something difficult and being good at it, than for my taste in music or something.

Taking the “more dates” comment with justification at face value and assuming it to be true, the additional dates are primarily attracted to your job, as stated.

It is reasonable to infer that these additional dates are actually interested in dating your job, and your essential self and body are just along for the ride. Your job goes, you go.

The problem is you will forget this at some point and start thinking a particular date actually cares about you personally.

Do yourself a favor to save your future self some pain. Take your CV, in paper form, roll it up into a cylinder, and dip it into latex. You should have a latex wand of about 8 inches in length. Wrap it with a few hundred dollar bills, gift this to your date and run away as fast as your feet will take you. You’re welcome...you’ve just saved yourself 10s to 100s of thousands of dollars and many hours of misery.

Details may vary depending on gender, economic status and the local currency.

I would wager that less than 10% of first dates are based on the "essential self" rather than some superficial quality. You don't get to know peoples' essential selves that quickly.

Those things are independent of status, though. You can be a successful plumber who exercises your skill to create value, but status-conscious types would still consider you low-status.

On the one hand it opens the door to (bluntly) "better" people, but equally will you have much in common?

Thanks to our extreme gender partitioning of hobbies and professions, there's little hope of that anyway. ; p