There's a great post about ruling class attitudes on Col. Chabert's blog. I didn't know Polish nobles got to warm themselves in the blood of peasants after a hunting trip (but only two peasants at a time, you still need that wood chopped. I guess my ancestors ran when they heard the sleigh coming.) The discussion focuses on the distancing our political-economic rulers practice. They separate themselves from squalor and misery, which allows them not to care.

As long as they don't cross the road - slum & high rises in Rio de Janeiro

I've been thinking a lot about how the ruling class views everyone else, after I met a capitalist. This guy was part of the ruling class, full stop - no 'run a Burger King franchise' cockroach capitalist he, but a bone fide captain of industry. And you know what? He was a decent guy. He made jokes, looked people in the eye, circulated the room. He was way more genuine than my forced smile. Why?

Part of that is ruling class confidence. If you grow up with everything, you come to expect everything. It's not true that capitalists are better at competing. Quite the opposite, in fact. They've been raised with the security that comes from knowing you'll always have a comfortable life. Working class people have to compete for their very survival, either getting or keeping a job.

... but usually it's the other way around - worker steps on capitalist in Cultural Revolution ceramic figurine

And that showed in the deference he commanded. He floated through the room with a word and a joke for everyone. Why shouldn't he? He's got lots to laugh about. Everyone else laughed uproariously and thanked him profusely for his gifts. This sycophantic toadying made me nauseous, but I understood why they were doing it. He's got power, his desire for a 'legacy' can translate into millions of dollars. Whether they were doing it because they had to, or because they genuinely believed in his projects, they needed him.

Faced with that - a confidence bred of security, and everyone else lavishing you with praise - who wouldn't be hearty & jovial? It's hard to believe that being a capitalist used to mean sacrifice. Marx talks about the early Manchester factory-owners, who wouldn't even go out for a drink because all their money had to be plowed back into the business. But

when a certain stage of development has been reached, a conventional degree of prodigality, which is also an exhibition of wealth, and consequently a source of credit, becomes a business necessity to the 'unfortunate' capitalist. Luxury enters into capital's expenses of representation. (741)

World government or Donald Trump? - the U.N. and the Trump Tower battle for prominence

Today, capitalists have accumulated wealth on a scale unheard of in Marx's time. Luxury can be displayed socially: a capitalist can leave a legacy that enriches their social standing and memory. It can contribute to profits through improved brand recognition.

No wonder the capitalist was happy. He was 'helping' people, which furthered his personal, social, and corporate prestige. Capitalists care. They don't just want to bathe in blood. They'll shake the hands of those who donated it, if they get something more in return.