“What happened? This place looks like a dump!”

As the car came to a halt near the north end of the commercial property for sale, Brent looked around and noticed several key indicators of a neighborhood suffering from urban decay. He noticed several boarded-up businesses, nearby homes in disrepair, numerous potholes, sidewalks broken and overgrown, and trash strewn about.

A twenty-year real estate developer and steel manufacturer, Brent was accustomed to getting what he wanted when he wanted it. He grew up in affluent neighborhoods, isolated from the day-to-day struggles of society. As the son of a steel manufacturer, he developed the reputation as a shrewd businessman who never took no for an answer.

“This used to be a thriving neighborhood. Twenty-five or so years ago, you could find small shops, restaurants, a grocery store, well maintained properties, even a small movie theater.” The real estate agent said. 

“I don’t know, Brent. There’re still several residential neighborhoods surrounding this part of town.

“Angie, wasn’t there a bigger property up for sale farther north of here?” His attorney asked the realtor.

“Absolutely not!” shot Brent. “This property is PERFECT for our new manufacturing plant. It’s only an hour or so from our downtown office, far enough away from anyone that matters, and it’s the perfect price! We’re gonna grab it before anyone else does,” . 

“But what about the noise, and pollution, and—”

“I want the proposal drawn up and on my desk this afternoon, understood?” he snarled.

“Yes Sir”.

Some people may view the above scenario and label the businessman as greedy or evil. Another group may label him as simply smart and savvy. How people label him may have more to do with upbringing than his behavior. If you were taught to adhere to a certain set of morals and values, then you’re probably more apt to label him as greedy. On the other hand, if wealth building and opportunity zones were topics of conversation in your community, then you may view it as good business. Turns out that wealth and your views on inequality may affect your business decisions.

Psychologists have found that money can have a powerful influence on our thoughts and actions in ways that we’re often not aware of. Researchers at UC Berkeley found that even play money could make people behave erratically. During a game of Monopoly, researchers gave one student a significantly larger amount of money than his friends. They watched as his behavior became more bodacious and erratic, even mocking the other players.