Rich robbers: why do wealthy people shoplift?

[laylalex 7,284]

Quote

Social hierarchies is an established field of psychology that focuses on the effects of wealth, power and privilege. The study results in this area are remarkably consistent: the rich tend to be unethical, and are more likely to cheat and steal than the poor are. In one experiment, the drivers of luxury cars were less likely to obey the right-of-way laws at a busy four-way intersection than the drivers of cheaper or older model cars. Then there’s the grim and troubling “candy experiment”, where researchers observed wealthy people remove twice as much candy from a jar that had been earmarked for children than people of more modest means did. Experiments have also shown that wealthy people are more likely to cheat on their taxes and their romantic partners.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/04/wealthy-people-shoplift-rob-steal-why

 

I know I'm luckier than most economically speaking, but I try to live a life where I carry out the lessons my very middle class parents taught me about treating others with respect and caring for those less able than I am. It would never occur to me to steal or to cheat. My ex on the other hand...  

[Boketto 211]

Probably because the wealthy tend to face less harsh consequences for their actions. 

[laylalex 7,284]

28 minutes ago, Boketto said:

Probably because the wealthy tend to face less harsh consequences for their actions. 

Unrelated: I love the kitties in your profile pic! 😻😻😻

[Boketto 211]

3 minutes ago, laylalex said:

Unrelated: I love the kitties in your profile pic! 😻😻😻

Thank you ❤️ I chose it as we have a cat that looks like the one on the right

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

30 minutes ago, Boketto said:

Probably because the wealthy tend to face less harsh consequences for their actions. 

So harsher penalties prevent crime ?

[Boketto 211]

Just now, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

So harsher penalties prevent crime ?

Can you explain how my post lead to this question from you? Because logically, the two are completely unrelated. 

[Dashinka 24,491]

5 minutes ago, Boketto said:

Can you explain how my post lead to this question from you? Because logically, the two are completely unrelated. 

Not really, penalties and consequences certainly related.

[yuna628 9,674]

How about.. bad people exist everywhere. In every age group, sex, race, socio-economic status, and place in the world. There may be some early development psychological factors that could make a young rich person to be less humble and caring or out of touch with the world, thereby starting them off on the wrong foot in life and making them less aware of the consequences of actions... but you also find that in lots of groups.

[Boketto 211]

34 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

Not really, penalties and consequences certainly related.

By “the two”, I was referring to my post and his question. 

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

42 minutes ago, Boketto said:

Can you explain how my post lead to this question from you? Because logically, the two are completely unrelated. 

You said the rich shoplift more because they face less penalties, logically one would conclude that penalties are a deterrent 

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

15 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

How about.. bad people exist everywhere. In every age group, sex, race, socio-economic status, and place in the world. There may be some early development psychological factors that could make a young rich person to be less humble and caring or out of touch with the world, thereby starting them off on the wrong foot in life and making them less aware of the consequences of actions... but you also find that in lots of groups.

remember when Winona ryder got caught stealing. Seems like Lohand got caught also. 

[laylalex 7,284]

5 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

 Lohand 

LOL

 

There's one member of my friend group over in the UK who is absolutely loaded but cannot help herself but, uh, help herself to things when she visits other people's houses/flats. She's forever walking off with some little knick-knack or other. She no longer shoplifts but she was terrible about it when she was younger, apparently, and never got in serious trouble because she was very good about doing the whole "do you know who my parents are?" thing.  When she gets caught pilfering stuff from homes, she'll always return it. She doesn't even try to hide it, she just leaves the things out in her own place where the owners can totally find them when they visit. It's just the way she is, everyone says, which is ridiculous in my opinion.

[yuna628 9,674]

12 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

remember when Winona ryder got caught stealing. Seems like Lohand got caught also. 

Child stars are always a complete mess.

[Boketto 211]

10 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

You said the rich shoplift more because they face less penalties, logically one would conclude that penalties are a deterrent 

 

I was suggesting that the lower probability of facing harsh penalties (the level of harshness that poorer people face) could be causing the rich to act more recklessly. 

 

I was not commenting on whether harsher penalties overall are more effective in deterring crime in society. I am not qualified to comment on that. 

[Boketto 211]

3 minutes ago, laylalex said:

LOL

 

There's one member of my friend group over in the UK who is absolutely loaded but cannot help herself but, uh, help herself to things when she visits other people's houses/flats. She's forever walking off with some little knick-knack or other. She no longer shoplifts but she was terrible about it when she was younger, apparently, and never got in serious trouble because she was very good about doing the whole "do you know who my parents are?" thing.  When she gets caught pilfering stuff from homes, she'll always return it. She doesn't even try to hide it, she just leaves the things out in her own place where the owners can totally find them when they visit. It's just the way she is, everyone says, which is ridiculous in my opinion.

 

Wow, sounds like a kleptomaniac...