A: A big desk.

Study: Having a Big Desk Makes You More Likely to Be a Jerk

Have you ever noticed that the person with the biggest desk at work or the biggest car in the neighborhood is also more likely to be a jerk? The Week reports that new research is now backing that up. Columbia University psychologists who tested how people reacted to the physical spaces around them found that large, lavish environments can make people feel more powerful, which leads them to be more likely to behave dishonestly. Study author Andy Yap told the Denver Post, “When you feel more powerful, you are more willing to take risks. If they hang a carrot in front of you, you might do whatever it takes to get that carrot, even if it’s unethical.” The researchers found the same thing with cars: people in a driving simulation were more likely to carry out a hit-and-run if they were in large fancy cars, and cars with bigger seats were more likely to be parked illegally.