economic inequality.

This is Part Nine. Part One is here.

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If we measure the gap between the wealthiest people in a country and the poorest we get a number. The U.S. is the worst in that number of any country in the world. We have the largest gap between the rich and the poor. 

This may not seem like a big deal to (if someone is on the rich side) but that’s where the fun starts. It actually affects the wealthy as well. There’s been numerous studies on how first class affects passengers. When economy class passengers have to walk through first class not only does it raise their anxiety levels, it raises the anxiety and stress levels of the first class passengers as well. There are more in-air incidents. 

You see we all think we like hierarchy but it adversely affects us all. 

How? If you want to know the problems it’s causing you (because it harms everyone) read The Spirt Level or The Broken Ladder but some of them are: 

Health.
Life expectancy.
Happiness.
Stress.
Depression.
Anger.
For starters.
Yes, it actually affects the life expectancy of everyone which is maybe why the United States has the lowest life expectancy among the 11 highest income countries. 

See just being rich isn’t enough, the rich has to spread out. 

We all want to live longer right? 

But, this one, oh man this one about what inequality does to us all. 

It makes us shortsighted and prone to risky behavior, willing to sacrifice a secure future for immediate gratification. It makes us more inclined to make self-defeating decisions. It makes us believe weird things, superstitiously clinging to the world as we want it to be rather than as it is. Inequality divides us, cleaving us into camps not only of income but also of ideology and race, eroding our trust in one another. It generates stress and makes us all less healthy and less happy. - Keith Payne. 

Wait, did we just define modern day America? All from economic inequality? 

Which brings me to marshmallows.