Wealth Manufactures Greed and Lack of Empathy

“Money is a way of measuring wealth but is not wealth in itself. A chest of gold coins or a fat wallet of bills is of no use whatsoever to a wrecked sailor alone on a raft…But this is ingrained and archaic confusion of money with wealth is now the main reason we are not going ahead full tilt with the development of our technological genius for the production of more than adequate food, clothing, housing, and utilities for every person on earth.”

The forever influential and awe-inspiring Alan Watts stated that In his book, Does it Matter? Man’s Relation to Materiality. But why am I sharing this quote with you? It has been found by several recent studies that wealth decreases one’s ability for empathy and compassion.

Why is this an issue?
I will tell you why. There are more “affluent” people in this world now than ever before, each of them as greedy and dispassionate as the last. However, when it comes to reaching the higher self, there is no need for material possessions, and certainly not a 5-car garage stuffed with luxury cars and a fifteen-bedroom mansion of goodies.

A recent study done by Berkeley psychologists, Piff and Keltner (Scientific American, 2012) found that “luxury car drivers were more likely to cut off other motorists instead of waiting their turn at the intersection.” Worse, a different study done by the same researchers found that “luxury car drivers were also more likely to speed past a pedestrian trying to use a crosswalk, even after making eye contact with that pedestrian.”

They simply are not noticing the other people, especially the people with less, around them. Because they have more, they are holding themselves at a higher level of importance.

Another study titled “Class and Compassion” found that that, when the wealthy were compared to the less affluent, it was those with less who felt more. This was tested by showing moving images of suffering, a compassion-inducing video about those affected by cancer, and giving statements like “It’s important to take care of people who are vulnerable.” It was the less wealthy whose minds and bodies changed to display clear signs of understanding and empathy. Meanwhile, the wealthy remained unaffected.

As wealth is gained, people have to depend less on those around them, making them more self-centered. When people stop showing kindness, we become less human. We are not truly happy, because fulfilling interpersonal relationships no longer exist.

All About the Me
In 2016, an article was published from the Interdisciplinary Program on Empathy and Altruism Research that looked at 63 countries around the world to show degrees of empathy. The sample size feature 104,365 adults. Amazingly, it was found that the countries with the highest levels of empathy were Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Denmark, and the UAE. The lowest countries were Lithuania, Venezuela, Poland, Estonia, and Bulgaria. This lead the researchers to ask, is empathy associated with collectivism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and prosocial behaviors?

The results from the research proved that, yes, openness, understanding, tolerance, and the idea of operating as part of a group rather than a single entity does indeed play into empathy.

Final Thoughts
Does this research mean you have to throw out your belongings and start living like a monk? No. Instead, consider giving a little to gain a lot. When you help someone on the street rather than ignoring them, you are combatting the idea that giving to the less fortunate is undesirable. Do not let wealth go to your head. Practice kindness, and you will find that smiles and gratitude are worth a lot more than currency.