Are Rich People more prone to be unethical?
JonnyPistachio
Florida Posts: 10,219
Its strange that high profile organizations waste time on silly studies like this:
But it does make you think!
http://money.msn.com/family-money/why-a ... eston.aspx
"...the researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Toronto conducted six other studies studying wealth and ethics, with similar results: The wealthier the person, the more likely he or she was to engage in unethical behavior. (One study gauged the propensity to cheat based on the self-reported social class, another the likelihood of taking candy meant for children.)"
But it does make you think!
http://money.msn.com/family-money/why-a ... eston.aspx
"...the researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Toronto conducted six other studies studying wealth and ethics, with similar results: The wealthier the person, the more likely he or she was to engage in unethical behavior. (One study gauged the propensity to cheat based on the self-reported social class, another the likelihood of taking candy meant for children.)"
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people always say "anybody can get rich". but i do not think that this is true because in many cases gaining wealth means taking advantage of someone at some point, and some people have a problem with that.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
JP, I think there's some truth to this that, rich people are prone to unethical behavior. I work in Palm Beach with many kinds of wealthy people/clients and many times they appear to have a propensity towards cutting corners with taxes, buying their yachts in the Bahamas or outright greed buying into financial planners/investors like Bernie Madoff.
Many times this is driven by the fact that no matter how bad things may get they MUST keep their status and heirachy in the community of wealth. They'll do whatever it takes to keep that status and if they lose it they are treated as outcasts.
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
that is exactly why I got out of sales to begin with... I didn't have the stomach for what we had to do to other people just trying to make a living, and I wasn't even in a high level position. These findings certainly don't surprise me.
In a more philosophical sense, what is rich? what is successful? i think that measure is more subjective than may be portrayed in most discussions of the American Dream.
And as a devil's advocate, ethics have a different meaning to people...what if someone believed it was unethical to not try your best to provide for your family, no matter what.
Personally I don't think that way, but some might.
Discussing the ethics of business always reminds of billy madison
Interesting study. I think it coincides with the whole CEO/sociopath stuff.
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
People get their wealth in many different ways, keep it, use it in many different ways.
Money changes people for sure this I know and can unfortunately make one feel
superior when really in the end they are no different then a pauper,
money can really screw with one's head.
In my job i work with the lowest of the low and the highest of the high, i've scene good and bad on both sides.
You are absolutely right if they don't know the system themselves what they tend to do is use their wealth to get the people who do know how to manipulate the system to their advantage. I've seen it for myself many times.....is anything wrong with that...depends...I on the other hand have had to work two jobs to get my advantage in this system of ours.
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
opportunistic |ˌäpərt(y)oōˈnistik|
adjective
exploiting chances offered by immediate circumstances without reference to a general plan or moral principle : the change was cynical and opportunistic.
• Ecology (of a plant or animal) able to spread quickly in a previously unexploited habitat.
• Medicine (of a microorganism or an infection caused by it) rarely affecting patients except in unusual circumstances, typically when the immune system is depressed.
DERIVATIVES
opportunistically |-ik(ə)lē| adverb
The two men who own the company I work for are rich as fuck. They started their business with very little, saw the potential of undeveloped land, bought it, and developed it. They treat their employees extremely well, and are decent, down-to-earth people. I begrudge them nothing.
Much of my mom's family came to the US from Iran with virtually nothing, and most would now be considered very well off. And not because they fucked someone (or many someones) over, but because they earned it, worked hard for it, for a long time.
Many similar stories out there.
I'm also apt to agree with BinauralJam's comments.
I tend to agree with this and have seen it way first hand way too often. But I don't like to stereotype. I have seen some rich people be generous, but not as often.
sure, any generalization is not going to paint everyone perfectly but the decision to not pay out settlements from exxon valdez or get unsafe drugs approved into the market are not done by poor people that's for sure ...
uhhh ... i'm not sure ... why don't you enlighten us?
I know what you're getting at...but maybe its because white collar crime is easier to get away with when you can cover it up. Also, when you've got everything you want, why rob and steal?
Anyways, I thought this article was interesting because I am also in palm beach, like GunderP, and although I know a lot of rich folks who are good, kind people, there are a lot of wealthy people here who push people around because they have money. Even a former employer of mine, who was a nice person, was affected negatively by his wealth because people were afraid of him and never said NO to him. He always got what he wanted, and the rare occasion that he didnt, he didnt know how to react other than with anger.
I do think its easier to be unethical if you have no one to answer to.
http://www.fcnetwork.org/Resource%20Cen ... tm#NOTES35
"At the time of their arrest, 90% had an income below $25,000, and 69% had an income below poverty level"
:roll: Anything else you want to blame on wealthy people?
Speaking of pushing people around ...just look at the John Goodman DUI case here in Wellington.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime ... 30334.html
Was it ethical for him to try and do this with some of his money?...
It seemed like an attempt to try and keep as much of his money just in case he is convicted of manslaughter. more on the case...
http://www.local10.com/news/Testimony-b ... index.html Somehow i do believe he will be found innocent of this charge.
Don't get me wrong many of the wealthy Palm Beachers that i know and know of do so much for this area in their generosity to the various causes they're involved in. Many charities seek them out to get help for those in need and for schools in our area who need help. More power to them.
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
look at goldman sachs and the letter that that man wrote yesterday as he resigned. he said that people were there to rip people off. they were getting rich off of the backs of those that they were supposed to be helping. is that unethical? to quote palin, "you betcha!!"
white collar crime is no better or more excusable than those crimes committed by the poor.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
let's see here ... we have some of the biggest corporate frauds go on that involved a bunch of wealthy people that resulted in many people losing their life savings and did any of them serve time? ... yet, some kid caught with a joint is in jail for 5 years ...
you know why else poor people are in prisons - they can't afford the expensive lawyers to get them off ... you think OJ would have gotten off if he was poor?? ...
I'd bet, in truth, some rich people are unethical and some poor people are unethical. In percentage, they are probably roughly even, depending on the sample.
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What's weird about goldman sachs is that of course they were ripping people off; it wasn't surprising to me. Most white collar business is in one way or another not honest. So I guess in saying that, of course the rich in exec positions are screwing someone else to maintain that position. Business becomes dirtier, the bigger it gets. That is a fact.
I mean, rich people are usually people in power or have the ability to influence others. If someone with that sort of power do something unethical, it probably has more far reaching consequences than everyday Joe Lower Management Guy who fudges some data on a weekly report or something like that.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
No matter how wealthy or not they are, one always has to answer to themselves...I would hope, anyway.
People who aren't rich can still affect others. If a lower-leve manager is fudging numbers to make himself look better, that could have a negative effect on another manager who is being honest. The lying manager could wind up getting a better raise, bonus, or promotion based on the fact that he lied to make himself look better than his peers. That could also wind up hurting the company down the line when there is a correction to those fudged numbers (or even hurt tha tmanager's replacement, who might take the blame for the sudden "decline" in that department's performance). As a general rule, something unethical will always have an impact on someone else. If it didn't, then there wouldn't be a question about ethics.
The studies should have been done by a Russian newspaper, then it would be solid.
Most is blue collar crime, what if we paid more attention to white collar crime?
Mmm yes I agree. I would feel like crap if I treated people like crap.
How do you define "taking advantage of someone" ?