Study finds that having money makes you really self-centred

We're not totally surprised.

While one day we'd love to own a mansion and buy the entirety of Penneys, it's safe to say that many of us will probably never get that rich. But it turns out it could be a good thing, because science has found that rich people are really self-centered. A new study, published in the journal Emotion, looked into how our income impacts how we experience happiness. The researchers studied 1,519 people and first compared their finances. Then, they looked at how often each participant experienced seven positive emotions including amusement, awe, compassion, contentment, enthusiasm, love and pride. People with lower incomes were more likely to experience positive emotions that were based on other people, like compassion and love. However, those who earned more money, experienced those same feelings - but about themselves. Author of the study, Paul Piff, of the University of California said: “Lower-income individuals have devised a way to cope, to find meaning, joy and happiness in their lives despite their relatively less favourable circumstances.” “Wealth doesn't guarantee you happiness, but it may predispose you to experiencing different forms of it - for example, whether you delight in yourself versus in your friends and relationships." Maybe living on a month-to-month wage isn't so bad, after all.