Status anxiety

I’m proud that my ancestor served at Trafalgar. But not too proud to sell his stuff

10 November 2007

Toby Young on his status issues

I experienced what the American self-help guru Dr Phil calls a ‘defining moment’ the other day. I’d just taken stock of my life and, frankly, things didn’t look good. The house I’ve bought in Acton — and which I can’t possibly afford — is already worth less than I paid for it. My wife has expressed a desire to have a fourth child. And I’ve recently been ‘let go’ as the Evening Standard’s restaurant critic.

It was time to act. I would no longer be carried along by events — I would shape my own destiny. In the words of Dr Phil, I would move my ‘self-concept away from a world-defined, fictional self towards a self-defined, authentic self’.

I decided to sell the family silver.

1 | 2 Next page

More articles from: Toby Young | this section

Print this article | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (2)

Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Post comment

Christopher Arthur Robert Moorsom

December 9th, 2007 3:56pm Report this comment

Happy to reassure Toby Young that the Moorsom family(direct decendants of the famous Admiral Robert Moorsom) is alive and well and has male heirs into the next generation. Disappointed at the poor quality of research by one of your regular journalists as a simple entry in Google would have led him to find this easily for himself.

Bernard Dujardin

April 22nd, 2008 11:06pm Report this comment

Chris,
are you "allied" with George Moorsom ? Was he in the RN as admiral ? In fact he is the famous genitor of the Moorsom system to calculate ship tonnage.
Who is he really ?
We ignore all of him in France. May you help me.
Thanks
Bernard Dujardin

Post comment