I watched this TED talk video by Paul Piff and his exploration about how our perceptions about our own wealth change our personality and the way we treat others.
I hope that you all do watch this video, although I would clearly understand if you don’t. I, for one, am not an avid video watcher, mostly because there are too many videos and often the content is not worth all the overstimulation of my brain. This, however, is worth your time.
I find it most interesting how quickly the players forgot that their advantage in the game was just by chance, a flip of a coin. Somehow they attributed their success to their own innate skills and talent, and they quickly began to stroke their own ego... standing taller and creating quite an audible roar about their success. A success they didn’t actually earn, but had but seconds before befallen upon them.
So unnerving to think that a game with fake money changed a person. So what about a life of real money? Now, I’m not one to preach to anyone about spirituality and I’m not well versed in reincarnation. However, the concept of reincarnation came to mind while watching this. In this belief, we live through multiple lives and your ability to progress in your next life is dependent on your ability to learn valuable lessons in this one. What about the possibility that this maybe your station in this life, but if you don’t learn the hard lessons, next lifetime you might find yourself on the opposite side of the coin; downcast, poverty stricken, and guess what in need of someone to have empathy for your state of disadvantage.
So this may be seen to you as a bunch of woulda coulda shoulda nonsense and it very well maybe.
But the video and the research still speaks volumes. As you climb that proverbial ladder of success, all you can literally do is look down on others, if that is what you choose to do. This video expresses that the richer you are the more likely you are to cheat, feel entitled, and the less likely you are to care about others and be compassionate. However, there is hope! When people were shown just a 46- second video, people’s values were restored and therein lies realization that we all just need that little nudge or reminder in order to recharge that empathy card. Why talk about this? Well it’s the holiday season we are all stretched thin. Thin beyond our money and time. I want to be that nudge. I’m your 46- second reminder! Maybe you aren’t monetarily rich, but you just got that new IPAD and you’re feeling like a Boss. Or you were really playing monopoly last night and you won and now you don’t have time to be kind to your local barista, because guess what you got “racks on racks on racks”. Let's face it we are all human. In recent times, I've heard a lot about the inequality gaps in the world. What can we do in order to stop its expansion?
The biggest realization to myself, is that it’s less about the cash and more about our perception. We all struggle with finding a balance when it comes putting yourself first or others first. However, in the video he states your success should never lead to the detriment of others. I hope you can take that with you.
The video quotes Bill Gates: “Humanity’s greatest advances are not in its discoveries, but in how those discoveries are applied to reduce inequity. “
I hope that you all do watch this video, although I would clearly understand if you don’t. I, for one, am not an avid video watcher, mostly because there are too many videos and often the content is not worth all the overstimulation of my brain. This, however, is worth your time.
I find it most interesting how quickly the players forgot that their advantage in the game was just by chance, a flip of a coin. Somehow they attributed their success to their own innate skills and talent, and they quickly began to stroke their own ego... standing taller and creating quite an audible roar about their success. A success they didn’t actually earn, but had but seconds before befallen upon them.
So unnerving to think that a game with fake money changed a person. So what about a life of real money? Now, I’m not one to preach to anyone about spirituality and I’m not well versed in reincarnation. However, the concept of reincarnation came to mind while watching this. In this belief, we live through multiple lives and your ability to progress in your next life is dependent on your ability to learn valuable lessons in this one. What about the possibility that this maybe your station in this life, but if you don’t learn the hard lessons, next lifetime you might find yourself on the opposite side of the coin; downcast, poverty stricken, and guess what in need of someone to have empathy for your state of disadvantage.
So this may be seen to you as a bunch of woulda coulda shoulda nonsense and it very well maybe.
But the video and the research still speaks volumes. As you climb that proverbial ladder of success, all you can literally do is look down on others, if that is what you choose to do. This video expresses that the richer you are the more likely you are to cheat, feel entitled, and the less likely you are to care about others and be compassionate. However, there is hope! When people were shown just a 46- second video, people’s values were restored and therein lies realization that we all just need that little nudge or reminder in order to recharge that empathy card. Why talk about this? Well it’s the holiday season we are all stretched thin. Thin beyond our money and time. I want to be that nudge. I’m your 46- second reminder! Maybe you aren’t monetarily rich, but you just got that new IPAD and you’re feeling like a Boss. Or you were really playing monopoly last night and you won and now you don’t have time to be kind to your local barista, because guess what you got “racks on racks on racks”. Let's face it we are all human. In recent times, I've heard a lot about the inequality gaps in the world. What can we do in order to stop its expansion?
The biggest realization to myself, is that it’s less about the cash and more about our perception. We all struggle with finding a balance when it comes putting yourself first or others first. However, in the video he states your success should never lead to the detriment of others. I hope you can take that with you.
The video quotes Bill Gates: “Humanity’s greatest advances are not in its discoveries, but in how those discoveries are applied to reduce inequity. “
On a fundraising note, big thank you to everyone who came out to the event at WILD in Brooklyn this past Wednesday. Without a doubt a great time, great food, great cause, great company!