At present, the status of a person continues to play an important role in people's lives. The best realization of the personality is possible when a person finds harmony of his inclinations and abilities with the activity that he performs. But often people refuse to seek such harmony and achieve only a prestigious position in society, that is, they think not so much about the realization of their abilities, but about the prestige associated with belonging to a certain social group. The article substantiates the idea that in modern society the achieved statuses acquire leading importance, the mastery of which is not inherited, but requires education, victory over competitors.