Posted on 11/16/2022 7:19:51 AM PST by devane617
A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia, working with two wealthy donors has found that transferring money from rich people to poor people can increase the level of happiness reported by the poor people who receive the money.
In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes experiments they conducted that involved transferring money from rich people to poor people in both rich and poor countries.
There is an old proverb that says "you can't buy happiness." But that may not be true, at least for people living at the lowest levels of modern society. Also, for many years, people have debated the impact of money on levels of happiness. Some studies have shown that the rich are no happier than everyone else.
But what such studies sometimes overlook is the impact of an increase in money on people who can benefit the most—the poor. To measure this impact, the researchers enlisted the assistance of two wealthy donors who together donated $2 million to the study. Portions of that money were then distributed to subjects.
Two hundred people were given $10,000 each with the only stipulation that they report monthly on any changes in the level of happiness they experienced due to the sudden gift. Each was also asked to fill out a final report six months later.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
Did the cash grant transfers to the researchers make the researchers happy?
socialism works
until there are no more rich people
only the govt is rich
then the govt gets really stingy
and starts jailing and killing anyone who complains
thats how socialism works
its not a bug
its the plan
It’s because they spend it on junk foods, empty calories, sweets.
How much of our money was done on this research?
Anyone here who wants to be happier is Free to send my cash. I do accept PayPal.
They’re different and not in a good way. Too easily distracted and endorphin addicted to their mobile devices. They shouldn’t need constant reminders to keep busy. There’s always work to do and day one isn’t much different from day 99 yet they often need prompting. They’ve got distorted notions about what privilege means. It’s not expecting value and service for your money. They want to do the minimum. I guess they call that quiet quitting now?
And after those people piss through 10 grand, buying phones, sneakers and large-screen TVs, how happy are they two weeks afterward? What about a month later?
And let's be clear about this--the recipients aren't happy that the money was allegedly transferred from wealthier people--I don't think they realize that at all, or do they care. The recipients are disconnected from where that money originates, so there's no concept of what it means to run out of money to transfer. They just see it as an entitlement.
Let's also be clear about what reliance on others does to one's self-confidence. What does it do to a person when you imply that they don't have the skills to take care of themselves financially, that they ALWAYS have to rely on others for subsistence? What a terrible message the results of this study sends.
This is why physicists should never attempt social studies.
This being said, The Millionaire (TV series) aired on CBS from 1955 to 1960. It explored the ways that sudden and unexpected wealth changed life, for better or for worse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Millionaire_(TV_series)
Money and drinking alcohol are both known as “neutral spirits” that can be good or bad depending on their use.
While poor people might *say* having more money would make them “happy”, doesn’t it all depend on how they *use* that money.
That is, many will use it on frivolous and even self destructive things. Some will use it on short term goals, medium term, or long term. Some will just save it and not use it at all.
If many people get money, other people will automatically become predators and see them as prey. This includes government, which often thinks of itself as the apex predator.
It is even a sad truism that there are no wide scale famines in the entire world outside of those *intentionally caused* by a local dictator who wants to starve a hated minority group. Even when outsiders offer to feed the starving and put pressure on the dictator, he will demand prohibitively high bribery to permit it. And even then he will try and sabotage it.
Then there is the “technology gap” of poor people. A village that earns income by making hand spinning-wheel pots is not helped by giving them electric spinning-wheels, since they have no electricity. However, *showing* them the next generation of their technology, foot spinning-wheels, is “understandable genius” to them and represents a boon to the local economy.
It takes much creativity to help this way. In India, where diesel trucks are common, someone provided them with air pressure powered adobe brick presses. Just add mud, straw, and some cheap water-proofing liquid to the press, apply air pressure to squeeze out most of the water, and set the brick out to dry for a short time.
And bingo, they get somewhat uniform waterproof adobe blocks in a fraction of the time, and can build a building with them in short order. Thus a single truck with air brakes can serve an entire region to provide upgraded housing.
It can work in other ways, as well. Many Indian wells are contaminated with lethal amounts of arsenic. But if you provide them with buckets with sand and iron powder, it takes out the arsenic and leaves them with clean water. All very cheap.
Exclusively female microbanks can change a regional economy by putting women in charge of the family purse, instead of men who drink up their wages and rent prostitutes.
If you have ever fed slop to hogs, they are noticeably more happy as you feed it to them.
That’s not a “scientific study,” but you can take to the bank.
Yeah, taking away property and wealth from those that worked for it, and giving it to those that didn’t always make those that “benefited” happier. I could have told the researchers that info for free! However, how does it make the victim feel?
Happy poor people is an important thing, even though it’s always temporary. Don’t want them all mad at the same time.
LOL - Promote the leader of this team from Captain Obvious to Major Duh......
Exactly.🤔
“Two hundred people were given $10,000 each with the only stipulation that they report monthly on any changes in the level of happiness they experienced due to the sudden gift.”
Of course everyone will say they’re happier, because they are hoping you will give them another $10,000.
“GenZ should be renamed as the something for nothing generation.”
Let’s just call them Gen Zero.
I was about to ask if this was Babylon Bee story!! LOL!!
Only happier for a week or two till they blow the money on drugs, cars, booze and tats
Excellent post! Thanks for taking the time to write it.
This only works if the recipient turns around with the dosh and “invests” it — education, secure housing, etc. If, OTOHand, if frittered away on things not essential to survival it becomes little more than another shot of heroin.
I’m shocked! This changes my entire weltanschauung!
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