Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work • Hacker News Board

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#71

Post by flachsechs » Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 1:41 AM UTC

KGIII wrote: post #59

big_youth wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Back in college my cocaine dealer was a city police officer. I had no idea until I saw him eating at a local restaurant in his police gear.

I don't want to be too specific, but one of the best 'cooks' that I've known was the ADA and now holds a higher elected position. Cooks, for those who don't know, turn coke into crack, a smokable form. She would do it with a stove and a coffee pot, as much as an ounce at a time.

the biggest dealer at my college went to a "very good" law school and is now working in DC.

go figure.

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#72

Post by davidshalev » Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 2:53 AM UTC

The majority of wealthy people became that way by some combination of lying, cheating, stealing, fraud, misrepresentation, intimidation (extortion and/or blackmail), market manipulation, insider trading, aggressive selling to vulnerable people such as seniors, etc...... If you succeed on Wall Street, you're most likely engaging in that behavior. Do people actually think that most of these billionaires added billions in value? That every exchange is voluntary and makes each side better off? Is the old lady with dementia who unknowingly signed up to a terrible annuity "better off". Was the woman with dementia a "sucker" for signing up and placing trust in the broker? The ethical way to become rich is largely by inventing or innovating. Corporate raiders such as Kravis, Icahn and Peltz are very far from being moral. Arguably sociopaths with a mean streak. Surprised with the naive posts.

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#73

Post by davidshalev » Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 2:57 AM UTC

warent wrote: post #29

testvox wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are being a team player because that's what's needed for you to succeed personally then isn't being a team player the selfish strategy?

Yes. Being kind and sharing with other people typically leads to a positive outcome for ourselves. Even altruism feels good on the inside--otherwise nobody would do it. The Dalai Lama calls this "wise selfishness"

The true manipulator doesn't need the warm glow of altruism to pursue his ambitions. The rich manipulator calculates everything as zero-sum and sees people for their utility to be exploited.

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#74

Post by averagewall » Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 5:50 AM UTC

davidshalev wrote: post #72

The majority of wealthy people became that way by some combination of lying, cheating, stealing, fraud, misrepresentation, intimidation (extortion and/or blackmail), market manipulation, insider trading, aggressive selling to vulnerable people such as seniors, etc...... If you succeed on Wall Street, you're most likely engaging in that behavior. Do people actually think that most of these billionaires added billions…

Who, besides dementia sufferers, are being cheated by those rich people? Anyone with a sounds mind is surely making a rational decision that they probably benefits themselves. If they're just trading at better prices than the market, that still means they're providing value by actually being available to trade with.

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#75

Post by averagewall » Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 6:10 AM UTC

Simulacra wrote: post #65

I think wealth can sometimes give a false sense of superiority and invincibility

You imply there is a true sense of superiority somewhere. What could be more a true measure of general superiority than wealth? It comes from succeeding in a game that everyone's playing.

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#76

Post by mcny » Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 1:32 PM UTC

averagewall wrote: post #74

davidshalev wrote: post #72

The majority of wealthy people became that way by some combination of lying, cheating, stealing, fraud, misrepresentation, intimidation (extortion and/or blackmail), market manipulation, insider trading, aggressive selling to vulnerable people such as seniors, etc...... If you succeed on Wall Street, you're most likely engaging in that behavior. Do people actually think that most of these billionaires added billions…

Who, besides dementia sufferers, are being cheated by those rich people? Anyone with a sounds mind is surely making a rational decision that they probably benefits themselves. If they're just trading at better prices than the market, that still means they're providing value by actually being available to trade with.

I know I'm going to sound like a broken record when I say this because I recently learned about this thing called principal agent problem and now everything in the world looks like it to me (when all you have is a hammer yada yada)

So with the apology it of the way, there is a lot of what we can call inefficiency when we look at things from a bird's eye view. Of course, usually someone else benefits from it.

Even if you ignore my silly comparison, there are new individuals born everyday. We don't all start from an equal position. Not that I have a better solution but you could argue some are in a better position to exploit certain opportunities than others are.

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#77

Post by davidshalev » Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 3:36 PM UTC

averagewall wrote: post #74

davidshalev wrote: post #72

The majority of wealthy people became that way by some combination of lying, cheating, stealing, fraud, misrepresentation, intimidation (extortion and/or blackmail), market manipulation, insider trading, aggressive selling to vulnerable people such as seniors, etc...... If you succeed on Wall Street, you're most likely engaging in that behavior. Do people actually think that most of these billionaires added billions…

Who, besides dementia sufferers, are being cheated by those rich people? Anyone with a sounds mind is surely making a rational decision that they probably benefits themselves. If they're just trading at better prices than the market, that still means they're providing value by actually being available to trade with.

There are enough vulnerable people to become rich off of? When I worked in sales the calculus was pretty simple - either you sell to these people to make money or you'll barely make money. The dirty little secret of success in sales is is scoping out people who can be manipulated. Most products being sold do not benefit the buyer. There is not enough ingenuity for that. The view that capitalism just creates a collection of voluntary exchanges that better both sides, is ludicrous.

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#78

Post by erik14th » Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 4:44 PM UTC

warent wrote: post #21

drawkbox wrote: post #16

The game is selfish, players must be selfish or self-interested to survive. This game efficiently works out niceness/sharing as a matter of survival.

Do you have any research to back up that claim? In my experience, selfishness and self-interest leads to isolation where nobody will help you with anything worthwhile. Gotta care about other people and be a team player to succeed

you are right and I believe that's how most people actually feel about moral, it's just that their team is not the whole humanity, only family/close friends or such.

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#79

Post by jjawssd » Sat, Oct 14, 2017, 10:08 PM UTC

KekDemaga wrote: post #69

maxxxxx wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about rich countries would accept paying a little more for their stuff?

Why not give to charity? That's what I do.

Paying for a more product produced by more expensive labor makes more sense to me.

Re: Are rich people meaner? Two teams find errors in each other’s work

#80

Post by stmfreak » Sun, Oct 15, 2017, 4:56 AM UTC

This is confirmation bias epitomized. Rich people mean? Or do rich people simply have a different view of the world than not-rich people? My kids think I am mean. They are not rich by comparison. The differences in our behaviors are the major reasons for our differences in incomes.