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Life's Not Fair! So Why Do We Assume It is ?

posted by cmn32480 on Thursday September 10 2015, @05:46PM   Printer-friendly
from the get-a-helmet dept.

AnonTechie writes:

Income inequality in America has been growing rapidly, and is expected to increase [PDF]. While the widening wealth gap is a hot topic in the media and on the campaign trail, there's quite a disconnect between the perceptions of economists and those of the general public.

For instance, surveys show people tend to underestimate the income disparity between the top and bottom 20% of Americans, and overestimate the opportunity for poor individuals to climb the social ladder. Additionally, a majority of adults believe that corporations conduct business fairly despite evidence to the contrary and that the government should not act to reduce income inequality.

Even though inequality is increasing, Americans seem to believe that our social and economic systems work exactly as they should. This perspective has intrigued social scientists for decades. My colleague Andrei Cimpian and I have demonstrated in our recent research that these beliefs that our society is fair and just may take root in the first years of life, stemming from our fundamental desire to explain the world around us.

http://theconversation.com/lifes-not-fair-so-why-do-we-assume-it-is-45981

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  • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday September 10 2015, @08:59PM

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Thursday September 10 2015, @08:59PM (#234913) Journal

    You don't get to shit on the rich for being born rich, that's blind luck and thus fair.

    That's crazy. Is it fair for Chelsea to get a fat salary as a "special correspondent" at NBC because she's Bill Clinton's daughter? Is it fair for Mark Rockefeller to have millions at his disposal when the guy's dumb as a post? Where's the meritocracy there? Where's the equality of opportunity there? Do you not know how incredibly much the rich cheat the rest of us? Man, you should spend a couple decades in NYC or DC rubbing elbows with those people and your eyes will be opened.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
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  • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday September 10 2015, @10:31PM

    by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Thursday September 10 2015, @10:31PM (#234953) Homepage Journal

    Fair? Yes. A brilliant decision? No.

    --
    My rights don't end where your fear begins.

    • (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Friday September 11 2015, @12:48PM

      by urza9814 (3954) on Friday September 11 2015, @12:48PM (#235211) Journal

      OK, I'm not entirely sure I agree that "random is fair" but it's at least understandable...

      However, what you seem to then be arguing is that BIRTH is fair, but the LIFE that comes after it is not.