The narrative trap

How best to navigate our way through life is far from straightforward. It can sometimes be made a little easier by following social narratives about how to live well that have stood the test of time. One strong and sticky story is that we should reach for ever more money, status and education. This article shows that this might serve us well when we have very little, but reaching for more and more can sometimes make us miserable. It discusses ways in which we might take better account of the costs as well as the benefits of our addiction to economic growth, social mobility and formal education. Published in LSE Public Policy Review, February 2026. Read the paper here.