Do you think billionaires ever feel like this?

[Torchlight]

39. I tend to think that empathyis more about individual disposition than wealth.

I've seen people just as poor as me, or even worse off, who show little compassion for those suffering around them. That said, I do believe that increased wealth often brings increased comfort, and with that comes a real tendency to rationalize. The more comfortable we are, the easier it becomes to justify looking away or insulating ourselves.

In that sense, I think wealth demands a greater degree of moral discipline. The more wealth and privilege we have, the more effort it takes to stay emotionally connected and ethically grounded. We may not be sinking in our ethical seas, but many of us are just treading water (something I wrestle with daily).

I've ever known only one "ultra-wealthy" person, and as far as I could smell, she was as sweet as she was kind. Then again, the kindest person I've ever met was just as poor as I was as a kid, and he turned out to be a life-long mentor.

So longer story than short, I'm not much help to you.



(But please remember, kindness exists in an unfathomable measure.)