# Are the Rich Less Compassionate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 31, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-rich-less-compassionate/716459 "2015-03-31T22:53:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-rich-less-compassionate/716459/61 "2015-04-02T19:35:15Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > In the link you provided I found this:Apparently, all the tithes and pledges count as charitable contributions, making religion by far the biggest beneficiary. We would need to further break it down by how much of that money is used for charitable purposes rather than for say maintenance of the religious institution. And, for example, does the Salvation Army count as a religious institution or Catholic Charities count as giving to the Catholic Church or to a charity? Further, of those donations, what percentage are tithes, collection plate etc. It still states that a massive number of high net worth families donate to charity. I would imagine the cited report would be very interesting as I will try and dig it up. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-rich-less-compassionate/716459/62 "2015-04-02T20:33:27Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > It means that they may not be able to allocate as much money to charity as they otherwise might given that they are paying more in taxes. As I pointed out, they still have more money after taxes than those who make less. > [@](#): > > You have offered no evidence that rich people tip less than poor people. Who typically eats at nicer restaurants? I would imagine that those who do support the tipping culture (17-20%), and that those who eat at restaurants usually have more money. So perhaps the rich or better off do indeed tip? I have provided more than you. You’re just making up your version of events. Mine’s at least based on the bagel guy, Bill Bryson’s experiences growing up (The Adventures of the Thunderbolt Kid), and my rich uncle. The only scientific evidence in this whole thread has been the study written about in Scientific American, which concluded the more money, the less people seem to care about others. > [@](#): > > It’s been done. Gates Foundation and many, many others. Yep. That’s different than your first offer that ‘maybe they don’t donate to charity because some charities are inefficient.’ ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-rich-less-compassionate/716459/63 "2015-04-02T21:48:47Z")
According to the survey cited [here](http://www.npr.org/2012/08/20/158947667/study-reveals-the-geography-of-charitable-giving), rich people are less charitable if they live among a bunch of other rich people. Rich people who live in or near poor communities, are comparatively more generous. (By the way, the original link to the 2012 study seems to have disappeared, but updated data exists [here](https://philanthropy.com/specialreport/how-america-gives-2014/1)) Which suggests that the main predictor of giving is how much you are presented with the need for it in your day-to-day life. If you live in a bubble of other wealthy people and don’t really see poor people very often, it must be easy to slip in to thinking that they’re not really that significant, or that numerous, or that desperate. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-rich-less-compassionate/716459/64 "2015-04-02T21:50:41Z")
> [@bup](#): > > As I pointed out, they still have more money after taxes than those who make less. And yet they apparently give to charity on a higher basis than any other group. So they pay more in taxes, for the same services, yet also are more likely to contribute to charity. > [@](#): > > I have provided more than you. You’re just making up your version of events. Mine’s at least based on the bagel guy, Bill Bryson’s experiences growing up (The Adventures of the Thunderbolt Kid), and my rich uncle. So based on Bryson, your uncle and an anecdote off of the internet you have proven that the rich don’t tip? By the standard I believe we have agreed to, I am rich and I tip very well. Most of my friends are rich and are equally as generous. This is as valid as the evidence offered above. So who are paying all of those big tips at fancy restaurants? The middle class out for an annual dinner? And you said that middle class folks tip better, which you said was based on the common wisdom amongst servers. Any cite to back this up and (as I have asked you) how can the servers tell who has money and who doesn’t? > [@](#): > > The only scientific evidence in this whole thread has been the study written about in Scientific American, which concluded the more money, the less people seem to care about others. It was a study and one that hasn’t been properly evaluated yet. I have already posted a link highlighting how much people give to charity and what a large portion of high net families give to charity. > [@](#): > > Yep. That’s different than your first offer that 'maybe they don’t donate to charity because some charities are inefficient. You asked why rich people don’t create their own charities. I pointed out that they have and many of them are massive. As for charitable giving, why give to inefficient charities? What about the volunteering of time and services which the well off often do (pro bono work for example). ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2015, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-rich-less-compassionate/716459/65 "2015-04-04T04:23:53Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > That isn’t rich to me, at least not when compared to some of the people talked about on this thread. To me, rich is someone who has liquid assets above 1M. Put another way, rich is someone who is not reliant on a paycheck. Even at 250K, you are very likely still heavily reliant on that paycheck assuming you have any sort of life. $250k is certainly rich enough to not live near any poor people. And it’s still not rich enough to not care about making more money. I think many of us have grown up with that snooty group of rich kids in their class who were kind of a little bit of a dick to people. My theory is when you grow up without any real financial problems or having any real worries, you tend to focus on superficial crap like style, social climbing, and hedonistic pursuits. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2015, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-rich-less-compassionate/716459/66 "2015-04-04T14:54:32Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > You asked why rich people don’t create their own charities. I pointed out that they have and many of them are massive. As for charitable giving, why give to inefficient charities? What about the volunteering of time and services which the well off often do (pro bono work for example). You’re really mis-characterizing what I said. You originally said > [@](#): > > Also, a lot of large charities have massive overhead and admin costs. It is not terribly efficient to give to charities when a lot of your dollar may not be going where you would like it to go. as though that’s a good reason to not give to charity. I pointed out that it takes a minimal effort to find efficient charities, or, if that doesn’t suit the individual, start their own. You pointed out that some rich people have started their own charities. Do you agree that your original point > [@](#): > > Also, a lot of large charities have massive overhead and admin costs. It is not terribly efficient to give to charities when a lot of your dollar may not be going where you would like it to go. is not a defense of not giving to charity? ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-rich-less-compassionate/716459/67 "2015-04-18T02:32:32Z")
Sorry for getting here late. There are several studies which demonstrate quite strongly that wealthy people are much more likely to be unethical asshats. Start here, with this multiple-study analysis from the _ **Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences** _: [Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior](http://www.pnas.org/content/109/11/4086.full) Summary: [QUOTE=PNAS] Seven studies using experimental and naturalistic methods reveal that upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower- class individuals. In studies 1 and 2, upper-class individuals were more likely to break the law while driving, relative to lower-class individuals. In follow-up laboratory studies, upper-class individuals were more likely to exhibit unethical decision-making tendencies (study 3), take valued goods from others (study 4), lie in a negotiation (study 5), cheat to increase their chances of winning a prize (study 6), and endorse unethical behavior at work (study 7) than were lower- class individuals. Mediator and moderator data demonstrated that upper-class individuals’ unethical tendencies are accounted for, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed. [/QUOTE] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-rich-less-compassionate/716459.md?page=3)