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Wednesday 26 September 2012
Why Inequality Is Bad for the One Percent

In a series of studies, researchers have found that attaining high social status impairs key social and emotional skills. It makes people less interested in connecting with others. It hinders their ability to read other people’s emotions. It makes them less compassionate and less generous. Indeed, Romney’s comments could make him the poster child for these social and emotional deficits.

Here’s why the people at that $50,000-a-plate dinner should care: These are skills that research has also linked to leading a happy, meaningful life. So as the super rich in this country assume an ever-loftier status above the 47 percent (or the 99 percent), they risk depleting their own reserves of happiness.

What’s more, this research carries troubling implications for rich and poor alike: that inequality may be self-perpetuating, because as our society grows more unequal, the rich will be less likely to care about the poor. Taken together, these studies suggest why inequality shouldn be a concern for anyone who cares about the health and well-being of American society as a whole.

52 notes

  1. wozziebear reblogged this from socio-logic
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  5. soniarani reblogged this from socio-logic and added:
    yea, fuck yea
  6. 0011101 reblogged this from aeturnium
  7. itnww reblogged this from soycrates
  8. midori-fairy reblogged this from socio-logic
  9. socio-logic reblogged this from azspot
  10. heterophobicforlife reblogged this from foulmouthedliberty
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  12. azonehole reblogged this from silas216 and added:
    Newsflash: they don’t give one single fuck.
  13. bigran reblogged this from silas216 and added:
    I couldn’t agree more
  14. silas216 reblogged this from azspot
  15. courtneyjduran reblogged this from azspot and added:
    This is why it is SOOO Important to vote!!
  16. qrookedqueer reblogged this from azspot
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  18. azspot posted this

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