During my children's half term I drove over 1,000 miles around the UK, mostly on the motorway. Along the way it became oddly obvious that you really can make a reasonable guess as to how a driver might behave from the brand of car he drives.
The meanest people on the roads appear to drive Mercedes (any model at all); BMW and Audi drivers come a close second (avoid small BMWs and big Audis); and everyone else is much of a muchness (in a good way motorway driving is a co-operative activity and pretty much everyone behaves well).
I know none of you are very interested in my half term (Legoland for those who are ) but it is worth noting that I am not the first to get out of a mid-range family car after a 300 miles run thanking my lucky stars that there aren't more Porsche Cayennes on the road (there aren't enough for me to generalise about their drivers). There is real evidence that driving expensive cars can make you mean.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
This study by University of California psychology professor Paul Piff looks at a variety of things, including the way Americans behave at four-way stop signs (Americans use these instead of roundabouts; no one can understand why) and at pedestrian crossings. They found that drivers of high-status cars were significantly more likely than everyone else to cut up other drivers at the stops and to ignore pedestrians at the crossings. Nice.
So what's going here? It isn't, of course, about cars it is about what those cars represent to the people driving them: money. A long list of studies show that inequality appears to make the few less empathetic: the richer you get, the less empathy you demonstrate, the more likely you are to cheat (to the extent of taking candy from babies) and to shoplift, and the smaller a percentage of your income you are likely to give to charity.
According to Michael Lewis, "The problem is caused by the inequality itself: It triggers a chemical reaction in the privileged few. It tilts their brains."
This is all American research, of course and it is causing some anxiety there on the basis that if the rich have less empathy than the poor, it is clearly hard for America's elected politicians to properly see the needs of a large part of their voters (a member of Congress is paid $172,000 and most have significant other income from directorships etc).
Should we worry here? It doesn't necessarily culturally translate note the huge difference between the US and UK versions of the welfare states, for example, and the fact that many of our MPs are very far from rich. But there must be something in it. You can see that on the M6.
-
Water companies blocked from using customer money to pay “undeserved” bonusesThe regulator has blocked three water companies from using billpayer money to pay £1.5 million in exec bonuses
-
Will the Bitcoin price hit $100,000?With Bitcoin prices trading just below $100,000, we explore whether the cryptocurrency can hit the milestone.
-
Beating inflation takes more luck than skill – but are we about to get lucky?Opinion The US Federal Reserve managed to beat inflation in the 1980s. But much of that was down to pure luck. Thankfully, says Merryn Somerset Webb, the Bank of England may be about to get lucky.
-
Rishi Sunak can’t fix all our problems – so why try?Opinion Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement is an attempt to plaster over problems the chancellor can’t fix. So should he even bother trying, asks Merryn Somerset Webb?
-
Young people are becoming a scarce resource – we should value them more highlyOpinion In the last two years adults have been bizarrely unkind to children and young people. That doesn’t bode well for the future, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
-
Ask for a pay rise – everyone else isOpinion As inflation bites and the labour market remains tight, many of the nation's employees are asking for a pay rise. Merryn Somerset Webb explains why you should do that too.
-
Why central banks should stick to controlling inflationOpinion The world’s central bankers are stepping out of their traditional roles and becoming much more political. That’s a mistake, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
-
How St Ives became St Tropez as the recovery drives prices sky highOpinion Merryn Somerset Webb finds herself at the epicentre of Britain’s V-shaped recovery as pent-up demand flows straight into Cornwall’s restaurants and beaches.
-
The real problem of Universal Basic Income (UBI)Merryn's Blog April employment numbers showed 75 per cent fewer people in the US returned to employment compared to expectations. Merryn Somerset-Webb explains how excessive government support is causing a shortage of labour.
-
Why an ageing population is not necessarily the disaster many people think it isOpinion We’ve got used to the idea that an ageing population is a bad thing. But that’s not necessarily true, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
