[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You've probably heard by now
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that economic inequality\Nis historically high,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the wealthiest one tenth\Nof one percent in the United States
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have as much wealth\Nas the bottom 90 percent combined,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or that the wealthiest\Neight individuals in the world
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have as much wealth
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as the poorest 3.5 billion\Ninhabitants of the planet.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Did you know that economic inequality\Nis associated with shorter lifespans,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,less happiness, more crime
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and more drug abuse?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Those sound like problems of poverty,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but among wealthy, developed nations
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,those health and social problems
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are actually more tightly linked\Nto inequality between incomes
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than to absolute incomes.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And because of that,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the United States,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the wealthiest and\Nthe most unequal of nations,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,actually fares worse\Nthan all other developed countries.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Surveys show that\Nlarge majorities of Americans,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,both Democrats and Republicans,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,believe inequality is too high\Nand want more equal pay,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and yet as a society we don't seem\Nto be able to find the common ground,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the consensus, the political will\Nto do anything about it.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because, as inequality\Nhas risen in recent decades,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,political polarization\Nhas risen along with it.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We see those who disagree with us\Nas idiots or as immoral.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Nearly half of Democrats and Republicans\Nnow think that the other side
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is not just mistaken,\Nbut a threat to the nation,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that animosity
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,prevents us from finding\Nthe common ground to change things.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm a social psychology professor\Nat the University of North Carolina,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I study the effects of inequality\Non people's thinking and behavior.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm going to argue that it's not just\Nan unfortunate coincidence
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that inequality and political division\Nhave risen together.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are good psychological reasons
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that inequality drives wedges\Nin our politics.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That means there are good\Npsychological paths
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to improve both at once.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To understand why inequality\Nis so powerful,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you have to first understand\Nthat we are constantly comparing ourselves
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to other people,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and when we do that,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we really like to come out on top,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we find it painful\Nto be on the bottom.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Psychologists call it\Nthe "better than average effect."
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Most people believe\Nthey're better than average
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at just about anything they care about,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which isn't strictly possible,\Nbecause that's just what average means.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But that's the way people feel.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Most people think\Nthey're smarter than average,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,harder working than average,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and more socially skilled.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Most people think they're\Nbetter drivers than average.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's true even if you do\Nthe study with a sample of people
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,currently hospitalized\Nfor a car accident that they caused.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we really want to see ourselves\Nas better than average,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and if we find out otherwise
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's a painful experience\Nthat we have to cope with.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we cope with it
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by shifting how we see the world.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To understand how this works,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,my collaborators and I ran an experiment.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We asked participants to complete\Na decision-making task to earn some money,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and in reality everyone earned\Nthe same amount of money.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But we randomly divided them\Ninto two groups,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we told one group\Nthat they had done better than average,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we told the other group\Nthey had done worse than average.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So now we have one group that feels richer\Nand one group that feels poorer,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but for no objective reason.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then we asked them some questions.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When we asked them,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"How good are you at making decisions?"
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the better than average group\Nsaid that they were more competent
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than the below average group.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The better than average group\Nsaid that their success
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was a fair outcome of a meritocracy.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The below average group\Nthought the system was rigged,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and in this case,\Nof course, they were right.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even though the two groups\Nhad the same amount of money,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the group that felt richer
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,said we should cut taxes on the wealthy,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cut benefits to the poor.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let them work hard and be\Nresponsible for themselves, they said.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These are attitudes that we normally\Nassume are rooted in deeply held values
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and a lifetime of experience,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but a 10-minute exercise
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that made people feel richer or poorer
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was enough to change those views.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This difference between being rich or poor
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and feeling rich or poor is important,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because the two don't always\Nline up very well.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You often hear people say with nostalgia,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"We were poor but we didn't know it."
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That was the case for me growing up,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,until one day,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the fourth grade lunch line,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we had a new cashier\Nwho didn't know the ropes
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and she asked me for $1.25.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was taken aback because I had never\Nbeen asked to pay for my lunch before.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I didn't know what to say\Nbecause I didn't have any money.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And suddenly I realized for the first time
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we free lunch kids\Nwere the poorer ones.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That awkward moment\Nin the school lunch line
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,changed so much for me,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because for the first time I felt poor.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We didn't have any less money\Nthan the day before,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but for the first time,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I started noticing things differently.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It changed the way I saw the world.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I started noticing how the kids\Nwho paid for their lunch
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,seemed to dress better\Nthan the free lunch kids.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I started noticing the big yellow blocks\Nof government cheese
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that showed up at our door,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the food stamps my mother\Nwould pull out at the grocery store.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was always a shy kid,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I hardly talked at all\Nafter that at school.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Who was I to speak up?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For decades, social scientists\Nlooked for evidence
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that feeling deprived\Ncompared to other people
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would motivate political action.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They thought it would mobilize protests,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,strikes,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,maybe even revolutions,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but again and again what they found
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was that it paralyzed people,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because the truth is,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,feeling less than other people
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,brings shame.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It makes people turn away,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,disgusted with the system.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Feeling better than other people, though,\Nnow that is motivating.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It motivates us to protect that position,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it has important consequences\Nfor our politics.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To see why, consider another experiment.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Again, we asked participants
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make decisions to earn some money,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we told one group\Nthat they had done better than average
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the other group that they\Nhad done worse than average.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And again, the better than average group
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,said it's a fair meritocracy,\Ncut taxes on the wealthy,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cut benefits for the poor.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But this time, we also asked them\Nwhat did they think
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about other participants\Nwho disagree with them
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on those issues.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Are they smart or incompetent?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Are they reasonable or are they biased?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The better than average group\Nsaid anybody who disagrees with them
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,must be incompetent, biased,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,blinded by self-interest.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The below average group
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,didn't assume that about their opponents.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, there are lots of psychology studies
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,showing that when people agree with us,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we think they're brilliant,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and when people disagree with us,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we tend to think they're idiots.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But this is new because we found\Nit was driven entirely by the group
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that felt better than average,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that felt entitled to dismiss\Nthose people who disagree with them.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So think about what this\Nis doing to our politics,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as the haves and have-nots\Nspread further and further apart.