In 1973, Pew Research asked the typical American whether it is okay tell “white lies” or “harmless lies” that were intended to spare the feelings of the lie’s recipient. Over 79% said that this type of lying was morally wrong.

In 2015, the question was asked again. This time, there was a steep drop, as only 43% said that this type of lying was morally wrong.

Unfortunately, America’s wealthy seemed to do its part to tilt the trend. In 1973, wealthy participants weighed in at 89% to say that this type of lying was wrong. By 2015, only 27% of the wealthy considered this wrong.

This change manifests itself in a lie told about charitable giving. In 2002, Boston College’s Center on Wealth and Philanthropy published a research study titled: “Charitable Giving: How Much, By Whom, To What, And How?” that gave wealthy participants a $200 reward for completing an … Read the rest of this article!