Wealthier people more likely to lie or cheat, study finds

[MelindaMadison]

Money gives one Choices.... and it is the underlying character within a person that will lead them to right...or wrong...

However...I like to believe that How we come across money (is it earned through hard work or successful transactions rewarded that typically DO require good character and decision making..or is it given without value..hence "squandered"...

Either way..i hate generalizations on any class...those that we may envy...or those we may not..

Money and success always seems to breed contempt either way

[WTF]

You hate generalazations on one hand and then on the other you say 'money & success always sem to breed contempt'. How about greedy folks breed contempt? That is more in tune with what the article had in mind

[Don't Be Daft!]

Total generalization and utter rubbish! Especially, if the person in question came from humble beginnings. But, I suppose both the wealthy and the skint can have shite morals and ethics about them. Personally, my father worked very hard and died a very wealthy man. More's the pity really--he was a cheating bastard. I however, was raised with money and can proudly say I've never cheated when in a committed relationship. Finances only corrupt if one has rubbish morals in the first place. To say money corrupts is totally daft. Its using it as a crutch or rather an excuse to be a "cunty" person.

[Sisyphus]

Originally Posted by WTF

From the article.
The research indicates that valuing greed leads to unethical behavior, not necessarily that income class causes bad behavior, McGinley said, adding, “greediness seems like a much more substantial predictor than income.”

It's not the most well-written synopsis of academic research I've ever encountered. It's difficult to tell exactly what, if anything, this study figured out based solely on reading this article. T'would have been nice of the author to include a link to the academic journal which initially published the findings. Oh well...que sera sera...

But, the quote WTF grabbed* (which comes almost at the end of the article, thus the title of this post) seems to be the heart of it. To which I can only respond....

Greedy people are more likely to break the rules??? Shocking...does everybody know about this??

It's in trying to assess the - seemingly logical - implication that people are rich because they're greedy rather than greedy because they're rich where things get messy. Social Science research is a BITCH to do well. Even when done well, it can prove to be - ultimately - unsatisfying in that it can only establish correlation. It can never establish causality.

Eh...maybe there is a discussion on the repercussions of the implication...if the implication is accurate. However, the validity of the premise for such a discussion is up for grabs. You'd have to go back to the actual study - and all of the studies sited as a foundation - to see how well the experiments were set up & how they crunched the numbers just to establish the likelihood that that the implication is true. Lol...who has the energy...let alone the intellectual curiosity to do that???

Originally Posted by WTF

The study builds on previous research that has shown wealthy people are worse at recognizing how others feel and are more likely to be disengaged during social interactions, the authors wrote.

LOL...queue up the Snoop D-O-double-G, "With my mind on my money & my money on my mind..."

That might be a bit more interesting to contemplate if the characterization of the previous research is accurate. Same cavaets apply, though. Perhaps, it's actually greedy people - rich or poor - that are more likely to exhibit this behavior as well. I'm not convinced the author of the newspaper article understands much of anything.

It's interesting stuff, though! I probably should get off my lazy ass at some point & go find all of this "previous research" being referred to....but I probably won't.


* BTW, not sure where the "income" hyperlink was supposed to take the curious. It be broke.

[txcwby6]

Having an overabundance of money allows the wealthier people to spend their money in a stealthier manner than those without. A quick meaningless tryst with a woman that's not interested in a "relationship" is a quick and easy way to get rid of pent up tensions and do so in a quality manner (I don't find jacking off that satisfying when the alternative is a tight young pussy, mouth and/or ass). I never have affairs (i.e. long-term relation ship with one woman) unless she's married and has as much to lose as I do if discovered.

[WTF]

Originally Posted by txcwby6

Having an overabundance of money allows the wealthier people to spend their money in a stealthier manner than those without. A quick meaningless tryst with a woman that's not interested in a "relationship" is a quick and easy way to get rid of pent up tensions and do so in a quality manner (I don't find jacking off that satisfying when the alternative is a tight young pussy, mouth and/or ass). I never have affairs (i.e. long-term relation ship with one woman) unless she's married and has as much to lose as I do if discovered.

I think you are exactly who the study was refrencing! LOL

[Laurentius]

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/96/open_boss.html

Business in general favors psychopathic traits because the criteria for right/wrong in business is the bottom line. The more willing you are to lie, cheat, etc. the more likely you are to gain an advantage that will lead to money. Easy.

Let me give you an example. I am in many businesses. In one of them, we have to advertise. The product sold has absolutely nothing to do with attractiveness and affects attractiveness not at all. Yet, I authorized advertising that uses hypnotic techniques of critical factor bypass and selective attention to cause people to associate choosing our product with their attractiveness. This is the same thing done to sell cars, cigarettes and a million other things. The fact that I am willing to do that is a psychopathic trait. Yet, in a competitive business I can't unilaterally take the "high road" because if I do, I will fail. So business favors those willing to do less than ideally ethical things.

That's the way life is. I do the best I can to conduct my businesses in an ethical fashion, but I am not going to starve just to prove I'm a nice guy either.

[Bigh1955]

Originally Posted by SexySeven

So I guess this means that I can't trust my sugardaddy.

Never...Never...trust a SD...Oh wait...I wannabe a SD! LMAO! Thanks

[Naomi4u]

Originally Posted by Laurentius

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/96/open_boss.html

Business in general favors psychopathic traits because the criteria for right/wrong in business is the bottom line. The more willing you are to lie, cheat, etc. the more likely you are to gain an advantage that will lead to money. Easy.

Let me give you an example. I am in many businesses. In one of them, we have to advertise. The product sold has absolutely nothing to do with attractiveness and affects attractiveness not at all. Yet, I authorized advertising that uses hypnotic techniques of critical factor bypass and selective attention to cause people to associate choosing our product with their attractiveness. This is the same thing done to sell cars, cigarettes and a million other things. The fact that I am willing to do that is a psychopathic trait. Yet, in a competitive business I can't unilaterally take the "high road" because if I do, I will fail. So business favors those willing to do less than ideally ethical things.

That's the way life is. I do the best I can to conduct my businesses in an ethical fashion, but I am not going to starve just to prove I'm a nice guy either.

Where have you been?? I missed you!

[ForumPoster]

In current society in order to be wealthy one has to either

1) Invent the next Facebook, or

2) Be on the top of corporate ladder, or

3) Become celebrity.

lets take a look at those who fall under #2.

Robert Hare is known as the creator of the Psychopathy Checklist. According to his research that he conducted in prisons, "The average Psychopathy Checklist score for incarcerated male offenders in North America is 23.3, out of a possible 40. A score of around 20 qualifies as "moderately psychopathic." Only 1% of the general population would score 30 or above, which is "highly psychopathic," the range for the most violent offenders. Hare has said that the typical citizen would score a 3 or 4, while anything below that is "sliding into sainthood.""

Similar studies done in corporate environment illustrated that many corporate leaders score way above average. Hare actually believes that about 4 percent of people with substantial decision-making power can be classified as such.

This should explain a little WHY wealthier people are more likely to cheat.

[Laurentius]

Originally Posted by ZarahAdams

Where have you been?? I missed you!

All stories start with "I met a girl ...." and that's where I have been! :-)

[MissNorway]

I don't think the study is true. Cheating and infidelity have more to do with a person's background, mentality, and current situation. I think the wealthy are just targeted because society cares more about the rich & upper class instead of the poor and underprivileged. JMO

[Laurentius]

Originally Posted by MissNorway

I don't think the study is true. Cheating and infidelity have more to do with a person's background, mentality, and current situation. I think the wealthy are just targeted because society cares more about the rich & upper class instead of the poor and underprivileged. JMO

The studies are speaking of "cheating" meaning bypassing the letter or intent of established rules or norms, and aren't addressing things like marital infidelity. The factors affecting marital infidelity are not typically psychopathic traits, though they may sometimes be.

In business, the standard of value by which actions are judged is the bottom line. Obviously, cheating is a way of gaining advantage -- which augments the bottom line. Therefore, business success, in general, will favor those willing to cheat as well as those less mindful of how their behavior may harm others.

[charlestudor2005]

@Laurentius - your wisdom has been missed.

[Willen]

Maybe yes, maybe no.

Like ALL analyses of groups, it tells you nothing about the next person in that category you encounter.

For those of you with means to troll the very wealthy--I wish you good luck. And thanks for leaving the other 99% to blokes like me.