Poor People May Be Quicker to Be Kind

cmkarla

Administrator

Registered: 01-03-2001

3	Wed, 12-28-2011 - 8:01am

I saw this interesting article from Health Day News about how poor people are quicker to recognize suffering and offer compassion than rich people.

""These latest results indicate that there's a culture of compassion and cooperation among lower-class individuals that may be born out of threats to their well-being," study author and social psychologist Jennifer Stellar said in a university news release.

"It's not that the upper classes are cold-hearted. They may just not be as adept at recognizing the cues and signals of suffering because they haven't had to deal with as many obstacles in their lives," she explained." READ MORE

Karla
Community Moderator, iVillage.com

Signatures On

thatyank

Community Leader

Registered: 01-03-2001

In reply to: cmkarla

Re: Poor People May Be Quicker to Be Kind

Wed, 12-28-2011 - 5:52pm

It makes sense since the poorer among us know what other poor are going through.

However, around here, in rural Ohio, I have seen that some of the "poorer" are less tolerant toward the poor of other races or religions, and are particularly vulnerable to the polemics against immigrants, even though they wouldn't do the work that these "competitors" do...

CL for "

iv_miranda_d

iVillage Member

Registered: 09-02-2003

In reply to: cmkarla

Re: Poor People May Be Quicker to Be Kind

Thu, 12-29-2011 - 1:01pm

I'm not sure I totally agree. I work in fundraising for a University, and we see people of all financial circles who give - some to students, some for capital projects. I think that it is too easy to categorize that way - when compassion is something that you learn as part of family values - regardless of socio-economic status.