We often view games as light-hearted pastimes, detached from real-world consequences. But when scientists turned Monopoly into a social experiment, the results were sobering—and uncomfortably familiar.
In a controlled study, researchers assigned players unequal starting conditions in a rigged game of Monopoly. One player received double the starting cash, collected twice the salary when passing “Go”, and rolled two dice instead of one. The others played under normal rules. The outcome was predictable: the advantaged player won nearly every time. But what stunned researchers was the change in behaviour.
As the game progressed, the privileged players grew louder, more assertive, and visibly more confident. They belittled opponents, claimed success was due to skill, and dismissed the impact of their built-in advantage. Despite starting from a position of power, their self-narrative rewired to believe they’d earned their win. In short: privilege didn’t just change the outcome—it changed their perception of reality.
This study, referenced in a viral LinkedIn post with the phrase “Scientists use Monopoly to prove privilege rewires the brain,” is more than a psychological curiosity; it holds up a mirror to our organisations, institutions, and selves.
In boardrooms, clinics, civil service, and executive offices, privilege is often invisible to those who benefit from it. Yet it profoundly shapes how leaders interpret the world. The Monopoly experiment is a powerful analogy for how inherited or systemic advantage becomes internalised—not just as an external benefit, but as a core belief: I’ve earned this, and others could too if they tried harder.
When leaders are shielded from hardship or insulated by status, it becomes easy to view success through a lens of individual merit. But this perspective can quickly devolve into organisational blind spots:
In short, privilege—if left unexamined—creates echo chambers. And echo chambers do not produce strong leadership; they produce stagnation.
The world is shifting. Fast. Social inequality is no longer an abstract conversation—it’s a lived reality impacting performance, retention, wellbeing, and public trust. Organisations are being held accountable not just for what they do, but how they do it—and for whom.
The Monopoly experiment exposes a hard truth: our brains will rewrite the story of our success to suit the narrative we want to believe. Much of what we call success is shaped by the family and economic circumstances into which we are born. Without conscious reflection, leaders risk attributing their outcomes solely to skill or effort—overlooking the structural advantages that supported them. This mindset, though natural, is dangerous. It sidelines equity, obstructs progress, and sustains inequitable systems under the illusion of fairness.
In today’s climate, self-awareness is not a luxury. It is a leadership imperative.
Leaders who don’t interrogate their advantages risk becoming architects of exclusion—not out of malice, but out of complacency. And in a world hungry for justice and authenticity, complacency has consequences.
At Linea, we operate within systems where the ripple effects of bias are everywhere—from workforce decisions in hospitals to public sector reform strategies and corporate hierarchies.
We don’t just observe the symptoms. We work with organisations to trace those symptoms to their structural roots and help them refocus on purpose and potential.
What the Monopoly study shows us is this: you don’t have to be malicious to be biased. In fact, the most damaging biases often come from those with the best intentions—but little insight into how power has shaped their perspective.
Tackling this isn’t about shame. It’s about responsibility.
We encourage leaders to take three bold steps:
Ultimately, the Monopoly experiment is not a metaphor. It’s a mirror. It shows us how quickly entitlement can form when power goes unchecked. And it reminds us how vital it is to build awareness before culture sets in stone.
Because if privilege can rewire the brain, then with intention, awareness and refocus we can rewire the culture—to drive excellence through inclusion, understanding and team empowerment.
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