Children who displayed aggressive behaviour at school, such as bullying or temper outbursts, are likely to earn more money in middle age, according to a five-decade study that upends the maxim that bullies do not prosper.

They are also more likely to have higher job satisfaction and be in more desirable jobs, say researchers from the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex.

Capitalism rewards bad behavior

  • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
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    373 months ago

    Capitalism is literally anti-social, like you said it rewards bad behavior. I hate that anti-social just means not liking people in pop culture and not the whole range of terrible behavior like being a bully or even worse a crybully.

      • blobjim [he/him]
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        153 months ago

        That’s the actual meaning of anti-social. You’ll even see it referred to in some governments’ communications. It’s the newer term for sociopathy it looks like.

        • Tachanka [comrade/them]
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          93 months ago

          Sort of. The earliest version of the DSM used the term sociopathy but I think subsequent versions starting in the 60s referred to it as antisocial personality disorder and noted that it had also been referred to as sociopathy or psychopathy.

    • keepcarrot [she/her]
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      133 months ago

      I guess there’s a liberal idea that bullies will get their just deserts when they enter “the real world”, but idk if anyone actually believes it, just something to that effect gets said a lot to kids

    • Greenleaf [he/him]
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      203 months ago

      I’ve had a decently long career in the corporate world. It’s definitely true that the smartest and most hard working people aren’t necessarily making the most money. If I could identify one characteristic of what seems to get people promoted and into higher paying jobs, it tends to be the ability to exert your will on others. It’s possible to do this without being a bully, but it’s pretty rare.

      But the idea that capitalism a meritocracy where the smartest and hardest working people earn the most is definitely bunk.

      • KobaCumTribute [she/her]
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        153 months ago

        But the idea that capitalism a meritocracy where the smartest and hardest working people earn the most is definitely bunk.

        IIRC “meritocracy” was coined as a sarcastic term for a deeply nepotistic system, mocking how it portrayed itself as elevating “the best” when it was actually just elevating inbred aristocratic failsons. Liberals of course seized upon and adopted the term unironically in much the same way Americans adopt Starship Troopers’ fascist absurdity unironically.

  • Awoo [she/her]
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    143 months ago

    Ruthlessness is rewarded in companies. Aggressive dickheads in school are aggressive dickheads in workplaces but age results in them adapting it for the setting.

  • RedWizard [he/him]
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    123 months ago

    Personality predates Ideology, you were a bully and a dickhead before you were a Fascist. If you agree that Nazis get punched, then your kids should agree that bullies get punched.

    Get bulled once, tell your teacher, get bullied twice, tell an admin, get bullied 3 times? Give the bully the consequences they earned.

  • Cunigulus [they/them]
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    53 months ago

    A lot of bullies just have high levels of confidence and good social skills. Most of them work out their sadism and lack of empathy in childhood and become well-adjusted adults.

  • Egon [they/them]
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    43 months ago

    It’s because they learn how the system works. Bullies learn what is just exactly acceptable and then they keep going to that line and push and push until their victim breaks and gets punished for retaliating. Seen it too many times. Schools that have zero-tolerance policies are havens for bullies.