Marshall Brain's Blog

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This article from "The Economist" contains the following fascinating quote:

"In one striking example, students at Harvard University were asked whether they would prefer (a) $50,000 a year while others got half that or (b) $100,000 a year while others got twice as much. A majority chose (a). They were happy with less, as long as they were better off than others.

Since the study was done only with Harvard students, it is not yet known if this way of thinking is unique to Harvard, or if it is true of the general population as well. Either way, what does this say about human nature? What is it about the human brain that makes it want to be "superior" to others, and how does this affect the community, the workplace, the political landscape, etc.?

Another question to ask is whether this is "nature" or "nurture". If we had all grown up in an economy where everyone is economically equal for the most part (no grinding poverty, and no stratospheric wealth), would Harvard students think differently about this?