|
|
I seem to recall my grandmother telling me this about 50 years ago.
I have encountered quite a few of the nouveau riche, barely upper
middle class, that are unscrupulous and almost
unbearable. And I have met a number of very wealthy people, both old money
people and the accidental rich, who are kindly, enjoyable, and exceptionally
hospitable.
From my own experience it is not whether a person has money per se.
Rather it is the perceived power that a person feels that they have
and their attitude towards it, and how differently they consider themselves
to be therefore from others.
I have heard that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a
needle than a rich person to get into heaven. Perhaps it is a simplicity of heart that opens such doors for us, and
the baggage of pride that closes them. None of the spirit can justly feel
such pride compared to another. Our comparison, our aspiration, is not to the
fellow next to us, but to a model so perfect and so loving that it leaves us
equally alike in our unworthiness, attempting that which is unattainable to
us on our own, except for the undeserved gift of grace.
But the world says 'Greed is good, baby.' Build the foundations of society on
that historically untenable aphorism and enjoy the ride. It's been done
many times before.
"Seven
studies using experimental and naturalistic methods reveal that upper-class
individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals. In studies
1 and 2, upper-class individuals were more likely to break the law while
driving, relative to lower-class individuals.
In follow-up laboratory studies, upper-class individuals were more likely to
exhibit unethical decision-making tendencies (study 3), take valued goods
from others (study 4), lie in a negotiation (study 5), cheat to increase
their chances of winning a prize (study 6), and endorse unethical behavior at
work (study 7) than were lower-class individuals.
Mediator and moderator data demonstrated that upper-class individuals’
unethical tendencies are accounted for, in part, by their more favorable
attitudes toward greed."
Higher Social Class Predicts
Unethical Behaviour, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America, February 27, 2012 Paul K. Piffa, Daniel
M. Stancatoa, Stéphane
Côtéb, Rodolfo Mendoza-Dentona, and Dacher Keltnera
"According
to Piff, unethical behavior in the study was driven
both by greed, which makes people less empathic, and the nature of wealth in
a highly stratified society. It insulates people from the consequences of
their actions, reduces their need for social connections and fuels feelings
of entitlement, all of which become self-reinforcing cultural norms.
“When pursuit of self-interest is allowed to run unchecked, it can lead
to socially pernicious outcomes,” said Piff,
who noted that the findings are not politically partisan.
“The same rules apply to liberals and conservatives. We always control
for political persuasion,” he said."
Greed Is Not Good, Wealth Can Make People Unethical
|
|
