Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Psychologists: “The Idea Of Nobless Oblige Or Trickle-Down Economics … Is Bull. Our Data Say You Cannot Rely On The Wealthy To Give Back. The ‘Thousand Points of Light’—This Rise of Compassion In The Wealthy To Fix All The Problems of Society—Is Improbable, Psychologically”
Raw Story notes that a study by psychologists from University of California Berkeley and UCSF - published in Current Directions in Psychological Science - shows that the wealthy are less e than people who are less well off.
As Raw Story notes:
The authors of the study said the findings have important, but overlooked, implications for public policy.
"Americans, although this is shifting a bit, kind of think class is irrelevant," said Dacher Keltner of the University of California-Berkeley, who cowrote the article with Michael W. Kraus of UC-San Francisco and Paul K. Piff of UC-Berkeley.
"I think our studies are saying the opposite: This is a profound part of who we are."
***
“One clear policy implication is, the idea of nobless oblige or trickle-down economics, certain versions of it, is bull," Keltner added. "Our data say you cannot rely on the wealthy to give back. The ‘thousand points of light’—this rise of compassion in the wealthy to fix all the problems of society—is improbable, psychologically."
Those in the upper-class tend to hoard resources and be less generous than they could be.
Given that many in Congress and top government posts are multi-millionaires, the study might help explain why politicians seem only to work to make themselves wealthier and to help their wealthy buddies:
(And see this.)
And experts tell us that many politicians have the sociopath's ability to pretend they care about other people.
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Posts
"You cannot rely on the wealthy to give back"?
ReplyDeleteReally? I mean it's so obvious that even the dumbest among English rioters knew it - and that's why they attacked the shops, with no other purpose than to, for once in their lives, take back something from what they consider to be "the rich".
"Noblesse oblige"
You know what? My mother is the daughter of a lesser Italian aristocrat and had that funny idea about Feudalism and "god-given" aristocratic command of society, just as in Neoplatonic-Christian Augustine's "city of God". I always though that as a fancy ideological trick, a self-justification of her ancestry (which is mine too but I do not feel any need to justify) but I'm surprised that it's found in other contexts not strictly aristocratic. Guess that remnants of the past can trickle down to the present in unexpected ways and amounts and be found where you'd expect less.
"Those in the upper-class tend to hoard resources and be less generous than they could be".
It's so hard to be the boss. Those slaves are never content with the crumbs they get and never work hard enough, bring the whip! (Sarcasm intended).
Comment On The Tea Party Movement
ReplyDeleteby Dr R. Altemeyer (psychologist studying the link between conservatism and authoritarian attitudes (both followers or RWAs, and leaders or SDOs) for over 30 years.
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/drbob/Comment%20on%20the%20Tea%20Party.pdf