New Study Finds Rich People Lack Empathy

Psychopaths also have little to no empathy for people. Just saying.

You could also say this about the bottom rung of society. The very poorest with the "Entitlement" mentality also have no empathy, come to think of it the very very rich have the same problem of "entitlement" issues except they're better at providing their "entitlement" to them selves than the low lifes on welfare who take it from our paychecks but I think both extremes lack empathy. The middle class I would say were the "middle" ground that they have the right upbringing and the empathy, IMHO.

I knew it!

I think the majority of people in "civilized" countries lack empathy, specifically beyond their borders.

If people has empathy towards all of humanity, there is no way the travesties could have ever been sustained since the flood waters subsided.

Classification and separatism are keeping the divided fallen.

This all goes back to class warfare. It's the REAL war that is being fought. The wars that are being fought in other countries are because of CLASS WARFARE.

It's been my experience that people that have earned their wealth are far more empathetic than people who inherit their wealth. People who earn it remembers what it's like to have nothing people who are given it has never had any hardships and care for nothing but themselves.

reply to post by buster2010


I'm sure this is true. Unfortunately most of the wealthy inherited their wealth, which is what skews the results.

Judging based on statistics is a dangerous game. It will make you racist, it will make you ageist and make you sexist. Now it apparently makes you a classist.

Let's just judge people based on an individual basis please.

Empathetic poor dude, "We're equal! That means I'm as good as you are! Don't you think you should give me some money?"

Rich guy, "I'm smarter than you, better looking than you, and I'm funnier than you are. My wife is hot and my kids do well in a fine school. Since when do I give a crap what you think?"

How's that?

Yeah I highly doubt the validity of this study, keep in mind the "source" that the article cited has also performed "studies" such as:

Becoming a Vampire Without Being Bitten

pss.sagepub.com...

A Single Exposure to the American Flag Shifts Support Toward Republicanism up to 8 Months Later

pss.sagepub.com...


And then it charges you to view this crap.

Originally posted by buster2010
It's been my experience that people that have earned their wealth are far more empathetic than people who inherit their wealth. People who earn it remembers what it's like to have nothing people who are given it has never had any hardships and care for nothing but themselves.

That is very true. I think this is a real good point. I was raised middle class and I am very empathetic, but now I am very poor like the lowest rung of society and I am not an "entitlement" nut, nor do I treat people like crap jsut because I am miserable with my lot in life, but I do see that a lot. Some people are just never happy, but most often those people are those dependant on government subsidies and those that just think they should get more, more, more regardless that they hardly do any real work (like inheritance rich like you described). The problem is most of our corporations are run by mogul families meaning they all inherited their money and corpration, I can count those who worked hard and own a coporation on one hand. There's Bill Gates, and the Macintosh guys and the Gateway guy which I think is no longer a company so it ddoesn't even count anyway.

reply to post by v1rtu0s0


I don't think I needed a study to confirm this...but ..

Originally posted by Nosred
Yeah I highly doubt the validity of this study, keep in mind the "source" that the article cited has also performed "studies" such as:

Becoming a Vampire Without Being Bitten

pss.sagepub.com...

A Single Exposure to the American Flag Shifts Support Toward Republicanism up to 8 Months Later

pss.sagepub.com...


And then it charges you to view this crap.

edit on 9-8-2011 by Nosred because: (no reason given)

Those are not the same authors. You are mistaken.

reply to post by v1rtu0s0


Capitalisim is a fine example of this. there is a finite amount of wealth in this world and when one has more then they need it generally means that another is lacking.
The attitude of 'I have this because I earned it' is, imo, one of the fundamental problems in the world today.
How can the likes of bill gates and oprah (Not to mention virtually every famous celeb ) Justify having millions when people starve, because they earned it?
If they had empathy they would be ashamed of themselves.
We live in a world where food, water, medicine and housing cost money, but without these things people die. yet if you directly kill someone you are committing a crime.
The only world in which excessive wealth can be justified is one where it is not required to live.
if the rich had empathy or ethics we would live in such a world.
When a non wealthy person lacks empathy they are called a sociopath.

Originally posted by v1rtu0s0

Originally posted by ThePeopleParty
I thought a lot of rich people are rich because they have none?

edit on 9-8-2011 by ThePeopleParty because: (no reason given)

That's a common misconception. Let's take that theory and apply it to anyone.

For the next 10 years, be as frugal as possible. Then report back to me and let me know if you became rich or not.

I performed this experiment with great success in the 90s and early 00s. The fact I chose to invest in gold, oil, minerals, ariable land, and private security contractors rather than McMansions and dotcom stocks made the experiment even smoother. However, these days you would have no trouble gathering a line that stretches around the block of people who consider me "lacking in empathy" to put it mildly. A passel of ex-GFs and wives with lawyers and sharpened claws stand at the head of the parade, and they take no prisoners. I'm pretty sure a number of ATS people would fit right in.

I have no problem with the poor blaming the rich, ultimately. I started quite poor - homeless at one point - but I wonder if it would be possible to do what I did today? Probably not, and even then the system is so much more corrupt. People are right to feel anger at the rich. The system is broken.

reply to post by Raivan31



I couldn't agree more, great post. Starred.

Usually the public libraries will let you access pay articles like that - or another journal that will carry them.

Of course I owe my library 25 bucks because stupid me lost a book so I can't look it up until I pay it. lol

I just question why we constantly elect the rich, as if - well they got rich so they must know what they are doing.
I guess, if you want a lizard world that is ran well for lizards.

Maybe the economic downturn will see a return of compassion to the world - after it burns itself to the ground.

reply to post by silent thunder


You are the exception to the rule. This story is rare, and just because it happens to some people does not mean just anyone can get lucky like that. It's almost like winning the lottery.

So how come crime rates go up in areas that have a lot of poverty? According to this study shouldn't the inverse be true? If people who aren't rich have more empathy then why do they resort to murder, theft and other various deeds to get money or just to vent their "anger"?

Perhaps different mindset may be a better phrase but to make such a broad statement isn't all that fair. People can lack empathy no matter the amount in their bank account. Rich people are often made into villains,some justly, like it is some kind of scarlet letter. What better way to keep people poor than to make them resent the rich. What better way to destroy capitalists then to isolate them, make them greedier, and turn the public against them.

Originally posted by ldyserenity
reply to post by v1rtu0s0

 

I don't need a study to tell me this. However, I have to say they have more class and never treat the cashiers or waiters/waitresses rotten, only lowlife cheap poor people act rude to their servers/cashiers...that much I will give the rich. They may lack empathy, however they know how to "portray" empathy.

That I will say is flat wrong.. I have worked many customer service jobs. Ever see how pissed the rich get when you screw up their order or are not quick enough? They are rich therefore they demand the best service right now. I can't begin to tell you jobs where you get tips. I valet parked at a fancy 5 star hotel in the past. If you see a mercedes pull up, and then a beat up pickup, grab that pickup if you can, that is where your tip is coming from. Every time. Oh and I got fired from a pizza job when I was 16, lady said I was rude which I wasn't, cause her order was late, tried to explain to her that the driver has it, out of my hands. So this whore calls back the next day and when I came into work they are like sorry bud. A person willing to screw someone out of a job knowing it wasn't my fault, or was too stupid to know.


Deebo