Somebodies and Nobodies

What corporate corruption, sexual abuse by clergy, and schoolyard bullying all have in common

In the on-going attempts to overcome racism and sexism in North America today, we are overlooking another kind of discrimination that is no less damaging and equally unjustifiable. It is a form of injustice that everyone knows, but no one sees: discrimination based on rank. Low rank-signifying weakness, vulnerability, and the absence of power-marks you for abuse in much the same way that race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation have long done.

When discrimination is race-based, we call it racism; when it's gender-based, we call it sexism. By analogy, rank-based discrimination might be called "rankism." Somebodies and Nobodies explains our reluctance to confront rankism, and argues that abuse based on power differences is no more justified than abuse based on color or gender differences. It shows where analyses based on identity fall short and, using dozens of examples to illustrate the argument, traces many forms of injustice and unfairness to rankism.

Somebodies and Nobodies unmasks rankism as The Feminine Mystique unmasked sexism. It demythologizes the prevailing social consensus-the "Somebody Mystique"-to demonstrate the pervasiveness and corrosiveness of rankism in our personal lives and social institutions. The book introduces new language and concepts that illuminate the subtle, often dysfunctional workings of power in our social interactions. It presents rankism as the last hurdle on the long road from aristocracy to a true meritocracy, brings into focus a dignitarian revolution that is already taking shape, and offers a preview of post-rankist society.

This book provides a theory of "rankism" - abuse and discrimination based on the power vested in rank. The author introduces new language and tools that illuminate the workings of power in our social interactions, previewing a social revolution that restores dignity to all.

What corporate corruption, sexual abuse by clergy, and schoolyard bullying all have in common

In the on-going attempts to overcome racism and sexism in North America today, we are overlooking another kind of discrimination that is no less damaging and equally unjustifiable. It is a form of injustice that everyone knows, but no one sees: discrimination based on rank. Low rank-signifying weakness, vulnerability, and the absence of power-marks you for abuse in much the same way that race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation have long done.

When discrimination is race-based, we call it racism; when it's gender-based, we call it sexism. By analogy, rank-based discrimination might be called "rankism." Somebodies and Nobodies explains our reluctance to confront rankism, and argues that abuse based on power differences is no more justified than abuse based on color or gender differences. It shows where analyses based on identity fall short and, using dozens of examples to illustrate the argument, traces many forms of injustice and unfairness to rankism.

Somebodies and Nobodies unmasks rankism as The Feminine Mystique unmasked sexism. It demythologizes the prevailing social consensus-the "Somebody Mystique"-to demonstrate the pervasiveness and corrosiveness of rankism in our personal lives and social institutions. The book introduces new language and concepts that illuminate the subtle, often dysfunctional workings of power in our social interactions. It presents rankism as the last hurdle on the long road from aristocracy to a true meritocracy, brings into focus a dignitarian revolution that is already taking shape, and offers a preview of post-rankist society.

Note to the Reader

Chapter 1: A DISORDER WITHOUT A NAME
The Personal is Political
Rankism — Mother of "Isms"
Equal in Dignity
The Myth of Meritocracy
Democracy's Next Step

Chapter 2: USES AND ABUSES OF RANK
Why Rank Matters
Legitimate Uses of Rank
Pulling Rank
Three Vignettes
Kicking the Dog
Is Pulling Rank Human Nature?

Chapter 3: THE TOLL OF RANK ABUSE
On Personal Relationships
On Productivity
The Intel Example
On Learning
On Leadership
On Spirit

Chapter 4: THE HUNGER FOR RECOGNITION
"And you are ... ?"
Recognition as Identity Food
Recognition Disorders
Somebodies and Nobodies — A Closer Look
Up and Down the Status Ladder
The Ins and Outs of Nobodyland
The Parade of Invisibles

Chapter 5: THE SOMEBODY MYSTIQUE
The Bricks and Mortar of Consensus
Why We Put Up With Abuses of Power
Nobody, Too
The Genesis of the Somebody Mystique

Chapter 6: DECONSTRUCTING THE SOMEBODY MYSTIQUE
The Function of Heroes
The Inside Story
About Genius
About Celebrity
About Fame
About Success
The Young Are Disenthralled

Chapter 7: THE QUEST FOR DIGNITY
The DNA of Democracy
Race, Gender, Age, ... Rank
On Naming Rank-Based Discrimination
Beyond Political Correctness
A Dignitarian Movement
King for a Day

Chapter 8: THE ANATOMY OF DISRESPECT
The Democratization of Authority
Family: Kid to Person
Health: Patient to Client
Work: Employee to Partner
The Enron Example
Learning: Student to Learner
A Better Game than War: Ciphers to Citizens
National Security in the Twenty-First Century
How to Win Respect and Safeguard Dignity

Chapter 9: THE NOBODY REVOLUTION: OVERCOMING RANKISM
Nobodies' Liberation: A Joke or a Movement?
The Nobody Manifesto
The Invisibles Become Visible
Humor, Etiquette, and Golden Rules
Political Realignment
Liberté, Dignité , Égalité, Fraternité

Epilogue
Elegy for Nobodies
Epitaph for Nobodies
Related Readings
Acknowledgements
Index
About the Author