People have always suspected that the rich are somehow ‘different,’ not only in terms of what they possess, but in their personalities. However, there are not many scientific studies that can either confirm or refute this thesis – neither in the United States, nor in Europe. Now, a team of six German economists and psychologists has conducted a large-scale study: They interviewed 130 wealthy individuals and used the results to derive a psychological profile, which they compared with the population as a whole.
Big Five Test
Of the various models developed by psychological researchers to describe personality types, it is the Big Five model that has largely come to dominate over the past few decades. This latest wealth study used a condensed version of the Big Five test to distinguish between five core personality traits:
I. Conscientious: Describes people who are thorough, meticulous, diligent, efficient, well organized, punctual, ambitious and persevering.
II. Neuroticism: Individuals with a high degree of Neuroticism tend to be nervous and frequently worry about everything and anything that could possibly go wrong. They tend to react impulsively and, overall, are not particularly psychologically stable.
III. Agreeableness: Individuals with high levels of Agreeableness have a pronounced desire for harmony; they have a tendency to back down too quickly and are frequently too trusting.
IV. Extraversion: Individuals with high Extraversion are talkative, determined, enterprising, energetic, and courageous.
V. Openness to Experience: Individuals with high Openness to Experience are imaginative, creative, and curious.
When you compare the personality traits of the general population with those of the researchers’ wealthy interviewees, the following patterns emerge:
- The rich are emotionally more stable, and therefore less neurotic
- The rich are especially extraverted
- The rich are more open to new experiences
- The rich are less agreeable, which means they less likely to shy away from conflicts
- The rich are more conscientious.
- The rich are more narcissistic
- The rich exhibit a stronger internal locus of control
This means that they are more likely to agree with statements such as “I determine how my life turns out” than they are with statements like “What you achieve in life is mainly a question of luck or fate.”
AND... MORE IMPORTANTLY...
IS THE FACT THAT GOVERNMENT CANNOT PASS LEGISLATION THAT WILL MAKE EVERYONE WEALTHY...
NOR,
CAN THEY PASS LEGISLATION TO MAKE EVERYONE EQUAL...
