Take The Money And Run

I'm not quite sure I understand this study I just read, wherein members of a group are given money, and then have some of it taken away from them. The other side of the experiment is that members of another group are simply given money by an unknown person.

Then, part two of the experiment is that the original two groups are given money and asked to give some away. The group that was originally given money gave away $6 out of $10, while the group that had money taken from them gave only $4.50 out of $10.

Seriously. It was confusing when I read it. It's confusing as I write it. But I can sorta make some sense out of it. The point is...why did they do it?

Researchers really spent...money?...on this experiment about money?? (I know. It goes so much deeper.) Must've gotten a grant. Apparently psychologists have a lot of time on their hands, and plenty of creative studies to record results for.

It's probably a good thing I wasn't one of the random people chosen to participate. Because after the study was explained to me, and I was given the envelope with the ten bucks, I would have said, "Thank you," and walked the other way and bought lunch.

I love the "conclusion" at the end that mentions the people who felt slighted. "It's not enough just to apologize."

I like my conclusion better.
Free lunch.

"To know oneself, one should assert oneself.
Psychology is action, not thinking about oneself.
We continue to shape our personality all our life.
If we knew ourselves perfectly, we should die."
—Albert Camus