Have you ever wondered why some of the wealthiest people are often the least compassionate towards those less fortunate? Did their ruthlessness breed financial success or did their success breed ruthlessness?
Berkeley psychologists Paul Piff and Dacher Keltner have been trying to determine this chicken and egg scenario.
"In one study, Piff and his colleagues discreetly observed the behavior of drivers at a busy four-way intersection. They found that luxury car drivers were more likely to cut off other motorists instead of waiting for their turn at the intersection. This was true for both men and women upper-class drivers, regardless of the time of day or the amount of traffic at the intersection. In a different study they found that luxury car drivers were also more likely to speed past a pedestrian trying to use a crosswalk, even after making eye contact with the pedestrian."
You could argue luxury cars attract a certain personality type to begin with, possibly skewing the results. What other evidence do these Berkeley psychologists have to offer? Here's another study with similar results:
"In a second study, participants were asked to watch two videos while having their heart rate monitored. One video showed somebody explaining how to build a patio. The other showed children who were suffering from cancer. After watching the videos, participants indicated how much compassion they felt while watching either video. Social class was measured by asking participants questions about their family’s level of income and education. The results of the study showed that participants on the lower end of the spectrum, with less income and education, were more likely to report feeling compassion while watching the video of the cancer patients. In addition, their heart rates slowed down while watching the cancer video—a response that is associated with paying greater attention to the feelings and motivations of others."
In the article by Scientific American, the writer suggests an interesting explanation as to why the wealthier seem to value greed more than others.
"Piff and his colleagues suspect that the answer may have something to do with how wealth and abundance give us a sense of freedom and independence from others. The less we have to rely on others, the less we may care about their feelings."
To put this in other terms, somewhere along the way to accumulating all that money, you simply ran out of f*cks to give to others.
It'd be really interesting to hear the viewpoint of someone that rose from the bottom to the top and whether they agree with this study (most subjects in the study were classified by their family's income so the "wealthy" typically implied generational wealth). Anyone on WSO want to contribute their thoughts?
Well once you realize how screwed up reality is. And sacrificed your empathy to succeed in that reality.
thats the culture we live in...greed is good!
You definitely sacrifice your own well being when you start to worry about other people. ^ Greed is good.
It is killed or be killed world out there. Personally, I think you are only responsible for your power base made out of your constituents. See Economist's article on "How to be a dictator", http://www.economist.com/node/21542299.
My understanding is that (a) honestly (b) adding value and (c) being savvy with people is usually enough. Are there some total jerkoff sharks that have made a killing, yes. Are there guys that simply knuckled down and got shit done who are at least as wealthy, yes. It depends on your personality.
People tend to get what they deserve. There's a LOT of ambitious, successful people who aren't dicks about it. They also tend to be more focused on work than the self worth / identity issues you're wrestling with, so realize that you're shortchanging yourself by not focusing on work. My personal take: don't be an asshole, don't be a pussy, just be a smart, hardworking, ambitious person who is cool to be around.
Moral Hazard:
If none follow the rules of the road, all suffer. If all follow the rules, all benefit. But if most follow the rules, those who break them benefit more.
Hard to draw causation out of this (ability to pay tickets, assertiveness, lack of empathy, etc.)
Meanwhile, the guys that were smart and did what they supposed to...make money legitimately...are richer than ever and still in business.
people dont build civilizations because they want to live in an utopia--period.
I think the article by Scientific American kinda nailed it too.
Don't mistake compassion for weakness.
If you are wealthy you're amazingly compassionate, your money is invested, it creates jobs, capitalism has helped the plight of the poor more than anything. Also, you ever see the amount of philanthropy done by the uber-wealthy? The Gates Foundation does a lot
Compare this with one of my previous blog posts, in which a study found people are more likely to cheat for charity. The two studies seem to almost perfectly conflict with each other, with one stating personal greed trumps compassion, and the other claiming people are more likely to deceive when giving to others. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this, but I think the whole dynamic is really intriguing and like to hear feedback from others.
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/cheating-for-charity
Has anyone watched the second installment of the Frontline documentary, "Money, Power, and Wall Street"? Made me reconsider some things.
from a friend
Well, let's just make it clear that I would never participate in insider trading. I was merely trying to say that a socioeconomic hierarchy is necessary for people to work hard and get ahead, not necessarily by breaking the law.
Thought this would be relevant: http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/27/humility-a-quiet-underappreciated…
"Humility doesn’t top the list of popular virtues these days, but if you’re ever in need of help, a humble friend is more likely to be there for you than a prideful one, new research suggests.
Humbleness has also been linked with generosity. Studies find that the trait predicts charitable giving and generous behavior toward others in monetary games played in the lab. “Compassion is hard if you don’t have humility,” says psychologist Jordan LaBouff of the University of Maine.
What’s more, humble people tend to make better employees and bosses. But because the typical American workplace tends to reward self-promotion over humility, such modest types may have a tough time making it to the top.
Evolutionary theory suggests that humble people will be more helpful to the group because a trait that involves subsuming one’s own needs to those of others is only likely to be preserved in a species in which cooperation is necessary for survival. Humans, who are generally incapable of thriving or raising vulnerable children in the wild without help from others, are probably one such species."
I stopped reading here.
I've actually tried to develop a sense of ruthlessness ever since I decided to try to get into business. I'm not trying to be the type that will purposely fuck your shit up and then run and tell the boss, blaming you asap, but I want to get to the point to where if it comes down to me or you, I won't feel bad by trying my hardest to get ahead. You need to look out for yourself first and foremost, and right now I need to look out for myself and my son, so I'll be damned if I just let you get in the way of my son's better life.
So YOU'RE the one that tripped us at the company's father-son sack race...
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