Name: 富はあなたを意地悪にする？ (Does Wealth Make You Meaner?)
Uploaded: 2021-01-14T11:05:15.000Z
Duration: 6 min 6 s
Description: VoiceTubeの動画で発音を聞きながら英語表現を覚えよう！学べる英語：

There's a scene in A Christmas Carol where a couple charity workers visit Scrooge's

Of course, Scrooge gotta Scrooge, so he kicks them to the curb.

Ebenezer with all the money in the world, can't spare a dime.

That should feel counterintuitive to us, but as the audience, we nod our heads and think,

Dickens didn't invent the trope of the cruel, greedy rich guy, but he sure popularized it,

and there have been countless examples since: Montgomery Burns, Mr. Potter, Gordon Gekko,

The idea that one's wealth is inversely proportional to their empathy is a staple

of fiction, but is there a basis in reality for it?

If I asked you “why don't you give away more money to worthy causes?”, what would you say?

I'd guess we'd all have a response along the lines of “I don't have enough money.”

But what if I told you that research suggests having more money makes you LESS generous?

A study by the Chronicle of Philanthropy found households earning 50 to 70 thousand dollars

gave 7.6% of their discretionary spending to charity.

And those who made over $200,000 and lived in a zipcode where 40% of their neighbors

earned the same gave only 2.8% to charity.

And a University of Notre Dame survey found that Americans below the poverty line were

twice as likely to give up to 1% of their entire income to charity compared to those

Researchers at UC Berkeley conducted an experiment where subjects were asked to rank themselves

on a socio-economic scale from low to high.

Then they were given some cash and asked how much of it they'd consider giving to a stranger.

Again, people who identified themselves as lower-class, gave away 44 percent more on

average than their higher ranked counterparts.

Perhaps you've heard about the famous “giving pledge” campaign initiated by Warren Buffet,

In an inspiring move, they are trying to convince other super wealthy families to give

away half of their fortune over their lifetime.

But, sadly, out of the hundreds of thousands of ultra-high net worth individuals in the

world, only 187 have signed the pledge in the 8 years since the campaign started.

There's no denying there's a “self-preservation” streak when it comes to amassing wealth.

Money doesn't just make us more possessive, it can also lead to obnoxious, arrogant social behavior.

Take one study that watched 100 random partners play a rigged game of Monopoly.

One of the two players started with double the starting cash, collected twice as much

when they passed “Go”, and rolled more dice.

These advantaged players  demonstrated more visible displays of victoriousness

like dominant physical gesturing and loudly moving their pieces around the board.

They even ate more pretzels that were specifically located nearer to the disadvantaged player.

When asked afterwards what factors led to their success, many of them pointed to some

sort of inherent skill rather than the obvious fact that the game was heavily tilted in their

It's like their brains had to find some sort of self-affirming justification for unearned privilege.

Even pretend-wealth can turn nice Aunt Sharon into a cutthroat real estate baron!

What is it about wealth that can turn even the best of us into an un-caring Scrooge?

One of the major factors is the connection between wealth and power.

The greater your wealth, the more advantages you have in life and the more power you have

over situations, circumstances, and people.

That boost in our sense of power holds a key to this phenomenon.

In a study at McMaster University, subjects were split into two groups - one primed to

feel powerful by recounting a situation where they were in charge - and one was not.

Those feeling more powerful were far less likely to exhibit what neuroscientists call

“mirroring,” our subconscious copying of others' behaviors and moods.

Feeling tension in the room when someone says something inappropriate.

Getting choked up watching someone else cry.

Mirroring is a vital skill that allows us to adapt appropriately to the people around

And it is an essential building block to allowing us to feel empathy.

If you're wealthy, or hope to be one day by watching Two Cents videos, this might be

Now that you are aware of some of the dangers that come along with wealth, there are steps you

can take to build empathy and remain generous now matter how much money you have.

For starters, don't isolate yourself or surround yourself with only your wealthy friends.

Wealthy individuals usually live physically further apart from others, and when they socialize,

it's with people at their same income level.

But studies show that wealthy people that live in economically diverse neighborhoods

give away twice as much to charity than those that don't.

So where you live makes a big difference!

And the same guys that did the monopoly study also found that experiencing nature can make

The feeling of awe when you look up at the stars or over a vast, expansive landscape

makes you feel less important and therefore more likely to help someone else out.

It's a tool that can impact the world in ways beneficial... and terrible.

As you journey towards a more prosperous future, don't forget to protect yourself from the

For example, you can set a specific percentage of your income to give away - no matter how

And try to actively seek out situations that will connect you people that aren't like you.

It'll help make sure you own your money… and it doesn't own you.

If you give to charity, how do you decide how much? And how do you stick to it?