HAPPINESS
The Role of One-Percenters
The role of one-percenters from the point of view of many plebians is: “Wouldn’t it be great to live like kings, to have your wishes be fulfilled and to be able to do whatever you want?”
In other words, a lot of us envy them at times. For others, one-percenters are leeches to be hated and despised.
A friend of mine explained what he believes the purpose is for Powerball and other Mega-Millions lotteries: To soften the hatred of one-percenters, because, “If I’m lucky maybe I’ll be a one-percenter some day.”
A study was done about matters pertaining to the mood of people who experience sudden extreme events in their lives, such as becoming a quadriplegic or winning one hundred million dollars. What the researchers found is that nearly everyone reverted to their general disposition before the accident or the mind-blowing victory. That is, if you were melancholy or a puddleglum beforehand, afterwards you were likely to eventually revert to type. If you were a cheerful optimist beforehand, you would likely eventually be the same even after a serious accident.
In other words, your disposition is determined more by internal mechanisms rather than…
