Are rich people meaner and less empathetic than regular folk? Science shows this to be true, but empathy may be a skill that can be learned.
If you Google “wealthy people psychology” you’ll find a lot of articles declaring that the “wealthy lack empathy,” the “wealthy are different,” and “rich people are mean.” In fact, a well-researched article in New York magazine this week dove deep into the relationship between economic status and negative psychological characteristics such as a dearth of empathy, insensitivity to and unregard for other people, the tendency to cheat and even to be a jerk while driving. The evidence is fairly convincing that people of higher socioeconomic status can be somewhat lacking in the kindness department.
by Alice G. Walton
