It seems that time and time again, the richer you are, the less you care. A research piece that attempted to anatomically dissect the relation between money and empathy determined that “status and monetary incentives appear to be more salient than empathy in guiding behaviors in a social dilemma task” (Osman, LV & Proulx). The ultimate discovery of that paper determines that the ego and abstract power derived from money disable cooperation. However, is that necessarily such a bad thing? While the obvious, and cliché answer would be to say that money isn’t the key to happiness, it isn’t so clear cut. In a money based world, our species has surpassed its need for empathy, and truth be told, rightfully so. From an objective standpoint, you need money to survive, you don’t need empathy. In fact, in a study surrounding wealth and happiness, it was determined that “higher social class was associated with greater self-oriented feelings of contentment and pride, and with greater amusement” (Piff, Moskowitz). If you can feel happiness and make money, why is there a need for empathy? There seems to be no reason why you shouldn’t just hustle at something that makes you money, don’t think twice about whoever you make that money off of, and bathe in the lavender smell of knowing ‘you made it’ in the world we live in. But much like Jordan Belfort’s case, you might question how long your apathy will hold itself together. I know that quite often I will put the dollar sign before I put the passion. Where does this come from? And how can we uproot the cause at the seams of its conception.
(Note: I will have a scene about Jordan Belfort prior to this paragraph)
Jake Stendel Non Fiction Writing 