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in white lotusThe HBO series “The Aspinals'' exposes the selfishness of the rich. There's also a lot about the intersections of race, class, and wealth. But the overarching theme is that rich people carelessly ignore the impact they have on those around them, which leads to a kind of callous cruelty even when they're trying to be decent people. By contrast, in July there was a true story about London's Aspinalls casino. There, the misdeeds on the part of some of the rich customers were allegedly far more blatant.
Former employee Semhal Tesfagiorgis, who took Ms Aspinalls to employment tribunal, testified that patrons made racist and sexist comments towards the employee (“stupid black girl”). etc.) and demanded a white female dealer. He said the casino had turned a blind eye to the actions of certain customers, some of whom had bet as much as £300,000 on baccarat hands. Mr. Aspinalls denies the charges. Court proceedings are ongoing.
From the President's Club to the Bullingdon Club, it's not hard to find examples of rich people doing bad things. In fact, a 2018 article in the Guardian quoted an anonymous wealth manager claiming that his company “selected wealth managers not only for their technical ability, but also for their ability to avoid scandals in the private lives of the ultra-high net worth.” quotes the statement. Other UK asset managers have also cut ties with clients rather than put up with their actions.
But the inspiring anecdote ends there. And as anyone who has seen football fans at their worst can tell you, it's not just the wealthy who do bad things. But perhaps the behavior of the bad rich is different from the behavior of the bad poor or the bad middle class.
Author Christopher Ryan Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress, says that when people become wealthy, they tend to buy “separation and isolation” (bigger homes, personal travel, etc.). This has the effect of reducing empathy, he says. Companies below the top ranking do not have this option.
A 2017 study by scientists at the University of California and the University of Toronto found that people from lower social classes are significantly better at reading emotions in other people's faces. Michael Kraus, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Yale School of Management, said lower-ranking people rely on others to succeed and survive, which means they need to read their own emotions. The rich don't have to do this, they just buy aid.
A plethora of similar studies have shown everything from that wealthy people experience positive emotions in more “self-oriented” ways to that owners of luxury cars are more likely to slash other drivers.
By only interacting with other wealthy people, it becomes easy to “other” those who are not. This means treating them as a homogeneous group rather than as individuals. Combining this with Anglos Fear's talented model, it is very good to tell the wealthy that they are here because they are valuable, and the front line service staff is below. A recipe that treats you like a human being will be completed. Because on some level, that's what I think.
Wealthy people seem less likely to suffer dire consequences for bad behavior. A quick Google search turns up dozens of stories of wealthy people who avoided large prison sentences for serious crimes such as drunk driving, drug smuggling, assault, and rape. Again, wealthy people have access to resources and networks that others do not have access to. I guess you could argue that wealthy people are more likely to be vilified on social media, but if I had a choice between being revoked or 5 years in prison, I don't know which I would choose. Masu.
Of course, many wealthy people want to do the right thing, and this is where the film's satire lies. white lotus The most poignant. Two of his main characters are teenagers with correct liberal views. They are alert to social injustice, constantly blaming their parents for their transgressions and microaggressions, and aligning themselves with oppressed groups. But we soon suspect that their performative virtues are primarily about them, and not about the people they claim to support.
That proves it. One spoiled teenager convinces a hotel employee to rob the other teenager's mother's room safe containing valuable jewelry. The employee is captured, and the two return to their gilded lives before disappearing. This episode reminds me of a famous line from The Great Gatsby. . . Then let others clean up the mess you made. ”
This article is part of FT WealthThis section provides in-depth coverage of philanthropy, entrepreneurs, family offices, and alternative and impact investing.
