Status is your ranking in the social hierarchy, and unlike money, status is a zero-sum game. If you have an asset, like a house, you are not taking away from another person's ability to acquire a house. On the other hand, if someone's "status ranking" is #3, in order for them to move up, the #2 person has to move out of the way. Sports and politics are some examples of zero-sum games, where in order to have a winner, you have to have a loser.