by Sophia Ahmadi and Anne Calandre, Feature Correspondent
According to author Christopher Ryan, wealthy people tend to distance themselves from others because of the gap in their wealth.
The common perception about the wealthy is that the more money they have, the more ruthless they are. While there are always exceptions to this trend, research shows that being wealthy can certainly affect our emotional and psychological consciousness in complex ways. Christopher Ryan, author of Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress, says that wealth inequality – the difference in wealth between the wealthy and those around them – has the greatest impact on our subconscious.
Increased wealth, of course, comes with an emotional cost: Rich people are less able to read emotions in other people's facial expressions, for example, and are less likely to pull over their luxury cars for pedestrians than those who drive cheaper models. This sense of entitlement and alienation is further intensified by having access to more wealth, says Ryan. “What we typically do with excess money is buy things that distinguish us from other people.”
Interestingly, such spending can have a negative impact on physical and mental health, since a close-knit sense of community is one of the strongest predictors of longevity. The wealthy can avoid these consequences by distributing their wealth to those who need it most and reaping the mental and emotional benefits from their generosity.
“I look at money like alcohol: Having a little wine with dinner is great. Having 15 bottles of wine with dinner is not a good night, right? So there are some things that are tonics in small amounts that are poisons in large amounts.”
This video was originally published by BBC Reel Conversation startersa series of thought-provoking windows into the world and its most compelling conversations.
