COMMENTARY | The Los Angeles Times reported the findings of a UC Berkeley experiment which came to the conclusion that the rich are prone to be unethical due to motivations of greed. Wow, Captain Obvious strikes again! I seriously doubt many of us 99 percenters were clueless to this fact. After all, many of us are still dealing with the aftermath of such unethical behavior. I think it is more than just motivations of greed. I think the root of the behavior lies also in feelings of entitlement.
UC Berkley student and lead author of the study, Paul Piff said, “These findings have very clear implications for how increased wealth and status in society shapes patterns of ethical behavior, and suggest that the different social values among the haves and the have-nots help drive these tendencies.”
I believe this to be true. Living in a lifestyle where you pretty much are entitled to what you want and are not held accountable to much can foster such behavior. However, did this conclusion warrant a study? From personal experience, from watching and reading the news, this “discovery” is evident before the study began.
It is not hard to come to the conclusion that motivations of greed lead to such incidents as that of Polo Club founder John Goodman’s adoption of his girlfriend. This wealthy man is facing both a criminal and civil trial for his role in the hit and run death of a young man. Goodman’s adoption of his girlfriend is a thinly veiled attempt to hold onto more of his wealth so the civil suit does not leave him in an O.J. Simpson financial situation. This is a clearly unethical move to protect his assets. For now, it is a legal move that is holding up.
Also, those 1 percenters with what I like to call “entitlement issues” get upset when they are told no. Last month, Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly had a fit at a pre-Golden Globes Party. The reason for this alleged tantrum: He was not served his Ciroc since it was a rival of the party’s sponsor, Grey Goose.
Whether it’s motivated by greed or a sense of entitlement, the rich do live by different code of conduct than those who are not wealthy, Sorry, UC Berkley, I did not need you tell me this I see every day. Like those conducting the study, I believe this behavior can be changed. I feel that if the rich are held accountable for their actions more often then maybe they’d think twice before driving drunk, running a stop sign, getting involved with illegal financial gains and will accept that they can’t always have it their way. Make it so that they can’t buy their way out of situation then you may see that proverbial change come.