Wealth and Generosity: Reverse Correlation?

When I started my health and conservation project in Sulawesi two years ago, I was optimistic with fundraising at Green School, Bali. I worked here and there were more 400 “green” people in the community; more than a half of the families are rich, at least 20 of them are millionaires or billionaires. The result was surprising. I got some donation, but none of my donors are millionaire or billionaire. Single mothers struggling for decent life in Bali and simple teachers with salaries just enough for life are among the donors. I was puzzled. Why are the less well off people more generous? The following link answers partly

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-wealth-reduces-compassion

I know many of these rich people suffer from insomnia and anxiety disorder because they need regular sleeping pills and sedative tablets. That reminds me of the words of a wise man more than 2000 years ago: “the source of misery is desire and attachment.” We are unhappy if our desire–even for the things we don’t really need such as iPad4 for iPad3 replacement–is not fulfilled; we keep worrying about our house broken in when we are sleeping or traveling, or our children got accident.

I do not learn much how to live my life from the people above me, financially, but I do from the below ones. They are able to make joke and sleep well even they are not sure about the money for buying food the next day.