Bernie Sanders says the 1 percent have screwed-up brains — and science proves he’s right

originally posted by: AlaskanDad
a reply to: LesMisanthrope


The morals of the wealthy have been in question for quite a long time.

Certainly, dating as far back as the Bronze Age at least. There is this fellow that had a great deal to say about the pursuit and love of wealth and the disease that it is, that many here attest to follow but take positions pretty uniformly against.

ok. just saying....my husband delivers furniture. the people with multimillion dollar houses who buy 12,000 dollars worth of furniture DO NOT TIP. but then he will have a little old lady on social security tip him 10 bucks and offer him tea and cookies. yes, the wealthy are a different breed.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
All those wealthy doctors, philanthropists, celebrities and businessmen are sociopaths. I wonder if this is before or after they donate unfathomable amounts of their precious money for various causes and charities.

America's 50 Top Givers

Big companies have to donate by law even , next to that they have big tax benefits attached to their donations.

Bernie Sanders is one book deal away from being in the 1%. Doese that make him crazy for not doing the book deal and moving up to the 1% or does that means once he signs a book deal, he will become crazy.....

originally posted by: WeRpeons
a reply to: AlaskanDad

What I could never understand about the multi-billionaires and multi-millionaires is how they sit on their millions and billions of dollars. I mean how much money do you really need? I'm no millionaire, but I'm satisfied with what I have in life. I could probably buy a bigger and nicer house in a better neighborhood, but I'm honestly content with what I have.

You would think for example, Trump, Gates, or the Waltons would want to give a billion or two towards the homeless, or another cause that would directly help individuals or humanity as a whole. It just seems like people who didn't have money and than became ultra-rich later in life, lose their perspective on reality and where they came from.

Nobody sits on that much money. Unless it is literally sitting in piles in their home, (and it's not) it is invested in the economy, either in the stock market or in a bank or some other form of investment.

Let me make this clear: those billions are almost certainly being invested into the market to support scientific, medical, and technological progresses. When people like Trump or Gates have a few billion, they put it in the bank, which in turn uses it to give guys like you and me a temporary hand up, or they invest it in other businesses, giving cutting-edge companies like Tesla much needed income.

Their money is making the world into a better place.

a reply to: schuyler

I'm kind of with schuyler on this. It's not racism, but it's something different, even more insidious perhaps, that pits "us" (whoever that is) against "them" (whoever they are) the evil people who are "not like us" who are the author of all "our" "ills."

Do we think we'd do any better? If "we" were smart, wealthy, and successful, wouldn't "we" also behave "unethically," especially by the standards of those who aren't "us?"

a reply to: StalkerSolent

Not like Bernie is preaching anything we haven't heard before. Historically, it's been the wealthy who've been in charge and led the world politically, which continues to present day but history aside, let's see if Bernie is talking out his ass or if there have been studies to back such claims.

healthland.time.com...

Looking for empathy and support? You’re more likely to get it from a poor person than you are from a rich one, according to new research published in Psychological Science.

In a series of experiments, the new study found that lower-class people were better at reading emotions on others’ faces — one measure of what researchers call empathic accuracy — than people in the upper class. “A lot of what we see is a baseline orientation for the lower class to be more empathetic and the upper class to be less [so],” says Michael Kraus, a co-author of the study and a postdoctoral student at the University of California, San Francisco.

If they weren't different to the average person they wouldn't be the 1% but I don't think that necessarily makes them bad. The problem is the bad ones can cause a lot of damage and even the ones who try to do good, well... the path to hell is paved with good intentions. As has been said with great power comes great responsibilities and many don't have the restraint or wisdom necessary to constructively weld the power they have.

Great thread OP!

Narcissism has reached epidemic proportions during the last 20 years or so in Western society, not only among the 1%. Currently, between 2 and 5 scientific studies on NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) are being published EACH DAY. That’s huge!

NPD is a Cluster B personality disorder, such as Antisocial Personality Disorder, Bipolar Personality Disorder and Histrionic Personality Disorder. Narcissism is at the heart of all of these, and it is mostly caused by long-term abuse during childhood. Note that abuse is not only physical or sexual. Spoiling a child is also considered abuse, and the consequences are just as damaging to the developing brain.

This is a fascinating subject. For anyone interested in a deeper understanding, the go-to expert is Sam Vaknin. He was diagnosed with NPD himself and is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism revisited. Here is his youtube channel. I highly recommend it:

Sam Vaknin Youtube channel

If you are in a relationship with someone who has NPD, this information is a MUST!!! Especially the covert type can be hell to live with and will destroy you if you don’t understand what is going on. Consider yourself warned.

I may start a thread soon on Narcissism in relationships. It often goes hand in hand with Codependency.

soulwaxer

a reply to: AlaskanDad
Neat thread!

Not sure it's necessarily 'screwed up' though. Have been some really cool studies that imply that most people who are successful are more likely to attribute the success to their own skill / effort rather than random factors. In that respect, this is just that attitude playing out.

Rich people think poor people choose to be that way the same way they 'chose' to be loaded is the implication.

Another favourite is over 80% of university lecturers think they are above average teachers.

originally posted by: AlaskanDad
Ever since the Enron scandal there have been those that realized the elite are social paths that care only for themselves and their fortunes. Now we have a presidential candidate saying they have "screwed up brains" of this there is little doubt.

Interestingly, the research shows wealthy people are less empathetic and tend to think of themselves and others in terms of fixed traits, instead of attributing a person’s emotional state to context and surroundings. And the rich tend to think of income inequality — from which they benefit — as the just result of meritocracy rather than a system rigged in their favor.

In addition, research by University of California at Irvine psychologist Paul Piff suggests the ultra-rich and the influence they wield, along with certain psychological traits that stem from extreme wealth, pose a problem. The extremely wealthy are more likely to behave selfishly with little regard for others, according to study results published in Scientific American.

Very wealthy people are also more likely to behave unethically, less likely to give to charities and displayed higher levels of narcissism and entitlement than average, according to Matrix, a UC Berkeley social science publication.

source

Their brains are wired differently. They think outside the box. They are leaders, not followers. They are innovators. That is what makes them special and that is why they see wealthy.

They are also some of the most generous people out there. I believe narcissism lies more in people who come from family money instead of those that build their own wealth.

Pfffft, who needs science to back this up? Simple observation shows clearly the 1% are off their rocker and out of their tree!

originally posted by: WeRpeons
a reply to: AlaskanDad

What I could never understand about the multi-billionaires and multi-millionaires is how they sit on their millions and billions of dollars. I mean how much money do you really need? I'm no millionaire, but I'm satisfied with what I have in life. I could probably buy a bigger and nicer house in a better neighborhood, but I'm honestly content with what I have.

You would think for example, Trump, Gates, or the Waltons would want to give a billion or two towards the homeless, or another cause that would directly help individuals or humanity as a whole. It just seems like people who didn't have money and than became ultra-rich later in life, lose their perspective on reality and where they came from.

Who gives a crap how much money they have?!?! Seriously, what in the hell is wrong with you people with this egregious lust for other peoples wealth?? If you merely want to take wealth away from them because people apparently like their business model... or even if they don't, stop purchasing their goods or service that continues to enrich them. Support local growers instead of buying cheap, crappy products from places like Walmart and advancing their wealth.

Quite demanding for crappy cheap stuff. By quality stuff and support small business. And yes, it'll cost you more but the quality makes all the difference and plus, you'll be hitting those 1% right in the pocket book.

But again, those 1% (excluding hedge fund managers.... they have no excuse) and providing a service that everyone demands. Cheap materiel and services just like you asked for.

originally posted by: Sparkymedic
Pfffft, who needs science to back this up? Simple observation shows clearly the 1% are off their rocker and out of their tree!

Um, yes, because everyone has the mental fortitude to create a business model to make them a billionaire. So, what will your billion dollar company be called? I Failed Too thrift store?

So what you're saying is people who are wealhy only look after themselves? Maybe that's how they got wealthy and powerful.

Take a look at a liberal system where people are handed everything on a plate. They continuously expect more and can't have it because everyone wants a slice of the pie. Eventually they come to expect to be "given" things by the government, such as money for not working, welfare, medical assistance.

Can someone explain to me where meritocracy fails please?

I think with the main statement in your OP..

they have "screwed up brains"

..It is the politicians you are referring to, not the 1%. A lot of politicians get in those positions in the same way they execute them.. lies, deceipt and manipultion. Luckily they don't make up the majority of the gene pool. Think yourself lucky.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: AlaskanDad

I'm pretty sure it is well known that socioeconomic status has much to do with violent crime and criminal behavior. If we can agree with that, where would you say the rich fall? If a lower socioeconomic status is a factor in criminal behavior, is it right to say those with a low socioeconomic status "have screwed up brains"?

Why don't you email these questions to University of California at Irvine psychologist Paul Piff instead of trying to bait an argument out of people that you know don't have the answers.

You keep asking for proof when clearly there is some right in the OP's post, and the proof you provide to support your own arguments is a list from Forbes magazine of glorified celebrity philanthropists. I'm convinced!

originally posted by: L.A.B
Can someone explain to me where meritocracy fails please?

Wages are rarely a result of meritocracy, it's only a matter of how much you can convince an employer to pay you. Job positions are similar, quite often people aren't promoted because a business can't afford to lose someone in a certain position, so a less important employee gets the promotion.

originally posted by: xuenchen
You would think medical science would have found a cure by now.

Medical science hasnt found a cure yet. But our legal system has...

Jail.

Unfortunatly the wealthy well connected just buy their way out through expensive litigation that most courts cannot afford to counter effectively.

While they are right on many accounts...Socialism is not the answer. History has shown that when communists rule, it turns into a dictatorship of psychopaths and millions have died. When socialists rule under the guise of equality the same ruling class live in luxury while half the country is under the thumb of 40% taxation and the other half of the country cannot get out out from under the thumb of government assistance...Socialism is the new slavery.

What needs to be done is to ring in the crony capitalism and corporatism and return to a free market capitalist republic.

a reply to: AnonymousMoose

It seems the true problem is overpopulation; any time you have more than one human being one or both wish to exploit the other making any form of government corrupt.

For equality; population ONE. for the end of corruption population ONE!

One person is the only number that can possibly be morally correct, any more and you have divisions.