Why are humans ranked? And how can we be ranked higher in society?

What does science tell about climbing up the social ladder?

Ever walked into a new group — maybe starting a job, joining a club, or even just being at a party — and felt that subtle sorting process begin? You start figuring out who seems to be in charge, who everyone listens to, who’s the funny one, who’s a bit on the outer. It’s like there’s an invisible ladder, and everyone’s finding their rung.

This, in a nutshell, is social hierarchy.

It might feel a bit awkward sometimes, even unfair, but it turns out this ranking business is something we humans, along with loads of other animals, are practically hardwired to do. But why? And what mysterious forces decide who gets the corner office view and who gets the desk by the bins? Let’s find out in this article.

Dominance = Socially Ranked Higher?

You might think it’s all about who’s toughest. In plenty of animal groups, it kind of is. By looking at the ecosystems of animals, dominance is often won through scraps and intimidation, with the winners getting the first pick of resources and assets. Scientists call these ‘agonistic interactions’. And let’s be honest, humans aren’t immune. We see people using aggression, manipulation, or sheer force of personality to climb the ladder in workplaces, politics, and even social circles.

But wait, there’s much more to the human story than just dominance. Our social ladders are far more rickety and complex. Our standing often relies more on how others see us rather than on brutal force. Sometimes it’s about competence (being really good at something useful), sometimes it’s about leverage (having something others need), and sometimes, frankly, it’s inherited (having rich dads). Our ‘rank’ is built on perceptions of our personal qualities and assets.

What Makes Us Rank Higher Socially?

So, what ingredients go into this perception pie? Quite a few, it turns out. Obvious ones include material wealth — having money often equals status. Then there are skills and knowledge; the go-to expert or the person with the brilliant ideas usually gets respect. Being genuinely nice, helpful, and generous (what social scientists call ‘prosocial’) is another biggie — people tend to like and defer to those who are good to be around. We can realise all these out through direct chats, watching how people behave, and, also from the power of gossip.

Crucially, what gets you points on the status scoreboard isn’t universal. It changes massively depending on the culture and the situation. In a hunter-gatherer society, being a crack shot with a bow might make you top dog. In Silicon Valley, coding genius might be the key. In other groups, maybe it’s charisma or skill. What’s valued depends entirely on the context and what helps that specific group thrive.

Formal & Informal Hierarchies

We can skim through different types of hierarchies. Some are crystal clear, written down, and official, such as military ranks. These are formal hierarchies — everyone knows the structure, the roles, and who has the official influence or power. It’s easy enough to understand, even if you don’t like where you sit.

More often, though, we are dealing with informal hierarchies. There are no job titles or badges here. It’s the subtle stuff: who consistently gets listened to in meetings? Who seems to command attention effortlessly? Whose opinions carry weight? Who gets invited to the ‘right’ parties? We infer people’s positions by observing interactions, seeing who has influence, and sensing the general vibe of respect or deference around them. It’s a constant, often unconscious, process of social calculation.

But why do we even have these hierarchies? Surely a flat structure is fairer? Well, evolutionary and social scientists reckon hierarchies actually serve a purpose: they help groups get things done. Let’s imagine trying to coordinate a big project, organise a community event, or even decide which pub to go to with twenty mates — pure chaos without some structure. Hierarchies provide that structure by giving certain people the influence to guide the group, monitor progress, and nudge things along. It helps solve coordination problems.

Who are those at the Mountain Top?

Often, the people who rise to the top are the ones with the skills, knowledge, or resources that genuinely benefit everyone. If someone’s a brilliant organiser, or generous with their resources, it makes sense for the group to give them a bit more sway. We defer to them, hoping their abilities will help us all achieve our goals, whether that’s landing a big client or just having a good time. It can be a form of social exchange — deference for benefits.

However, it’s not always about pure functional benefit. Sometimes, the reasons for someone’s high status are more about agreed-upon rules or ‘conventions’. If we think about fashion trends or why certain artistic styles become valuable, these aren’t necessarily based on objective “better-ness”, but on culturally learned agreements about what’s considered worthy or high-status. These conventions act like social shortcuts — easily recognisable markers (like accents, dress sense, or even group identities like ethnicity or class) that help us quickly place people, even if the marker itself is somewhat arbitrary. Hierarchies might be useful overall, but the specific way status is marked can be down to cultural habit.

Importance of Social Network

Now, let’s talk about one of the most powerful, yet often overlooked, factors: your social network. It really can be who you know. Your personal traits matter, but your position within the social connections — your ‘social capital’ in sociological terms — is massive. Having access to the resources (information, support, opportunities) embedded in your network can make or break your status climb.

What research findings suggest is that simply knowing lots of people (having high ‘degree centrality’) often means more support and influence. Being connected to other high-status, well-connected people can give you a boost by association — their status rubs off. And if you bridge different, unconnected groups (acting as a ‘broker’), you’re in a prime spot to control information flow and gain influence. However, being on the fringes of the network can seriously limit your opportunities.

Success often breeds success — known as the ‘Matthew Effect’. Once you gain some status or a central network position, it often becomes easier to gain more. You get more opportunities, more visibility, more connections, which further boosts your standing. This cumulative advantage can lead to status becoming quite entrenched and can increase inequality over time. The flip side? Those starting lower down or on the periphery face bigger hurdles, potentially caught in a ‘reputational poverty trap’.

So, there you have it. Social hierarchy isn’t just simple playground politics. It’s a deeply ingrained, complex feature of human society, shaped by a potent mix of our personal abilities and assets, the specific cultural context we’re in, the power of social perception and convention, and crucially, the structure of our social networks. Understanding social hierarchies doesn’t mean we have to accept unfairness, but it does give us a clearer picture of the subtle forces shaping our social world on any given day.

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Thanks for reading my brief analysis. If you would like to learn more about (mental) health, personal development and/or (online) education from me, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter below. Also please feel free to browse my blog — Society & Growth — for more content at https://jasonhungofficialblog.com/.