Why Are Rich People So Darn Stingy?
The New York Times reported recently that “a non-profit organization focused on charitable giving, found that households earning less than $25,000 a year gave away an average of 4.2 percent of their incomes; those with earnings of more than $75,000 gave away 2.7 percent.” In other words, the “brokest” people in America help heal others, while fat cats are mostly out for their own tushes. What a hot mess! This sheer inability of those who earn within high cash brackets to give to others who suffer, shows just how morally poor we are as a society. To be fair, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who rank in the topmost class of wealth give back extraordinarily: they and 38 others announced not long ago that they would give about half their wealth to charity. But, while the United States has a healthy appetite–and record–for philanthropy, we also have a culture of self-centeredness that thrives amongst the upper class. It is the lower class that shows much more empathy for others in need. “Those
