The Spirit Level

“At an intuitive level people have always recognized that inequality is socially corrosive. But there seemed little reason to think that levels of inequality in developed societies differed enough to expect any measurable effects. The reasons which first led one of us to look for effects seem not largely irrelevant to the striking picture which has emerged.”

In this quotation, the authors intrigue the reader to continue reading and discover the “measurable effects” which they claim are the consequences of income inequality. In addition to hooking the reader’s interest, in this passage, Wilkinson and Pickett also invite the reader to agree with their “intuitive” assessment that inequality fosters distrust and misbehavior.

“In this book we show that the quality of social relations in a society is built on material foundations. The scale of income differences has a powerful effect on how we relate to each other. Rather than blaming parents, religion, values, education, or the penal system, we will show that the scale of inequality provides a powerful policy lever on the psychological wellbeing of all of us.”

This passage clearly states the authors’ thesis. By connecting people’s wealth with their social habits, the authors encourage the reader to reflect on the interconnectedness between people’s financial status, socialization, and wellbeing, thematically incorporating The Effect of Inequality on Social Trust.

“We are the first generation to have to find new answers to the question of how to make further improvements to the real quality of human life. What should we turn to if not to economic growth? One of the most powerful clues to the answer to this question comes from the fact that we are affected very differently by the income differences within our own society from the way we are affected by the differences in average income between one rich society to another.”

In this passage, the authors refute the idea that economic growth necessarily translates to a better quality of life for the population, noting that people are sensitive to changes in status within their own country rather than how their nation compares to others in the bigger picture. This quotation primes the reader for the authors’ discussion on income differences within nations and its possible consequences.