A Study Explains Why Rich and Successful People are Often Dishonest
Let's face it, we've all been wondering why so many rich, successful, powerful people are cheating, lying, disgraces. Is it that only unethical people make it to the top? At least one study indicates that this is not the case-it's that winning itself makes people behave unethically.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences just published a study that does not bode well for humanity's future. Scientists at Ben-Gurion University and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem had participants in a psychological study participate in a series of games, the first of which determined a "winner," and the second of which let that winner decide how much money they could award themselves. They found that competition winners cheated, awarding themselves more money than they deserved.
The games all ...