Kai Jonas
Professor of Social Psychology at the
Maastricht University
»In inheritance it is about questions of meaning: What do I want to pass on? What are my values? "
Professor Jonas, you give psychological advice on inheritance. Isn't a will primarily about legal and tax considerations?
That is often the misunderstanding. And I also have to say: It's a very German approach. In other countries, such as the Netherlands, the Scandinavian countries and the United States, inheritance is seen more as a question of meaning. What do I want to pass on? What are my values? What does justice mean to me? And so it becomes a psychological question. The narrow view of tax and legal aspects, ie: “How do I correctly draw up my will? How can I save as much tax as possible? ”Is wrong in my opinion and, above all, it is not helpful either. Because that way, relevant topics are left out. Dealing with our heritage confronts us with our own impermanence, with our desires and longings, but also offers the opportunity to pass on the norms and values that are important to us. The design of our will also gives us the chance to have a lasting impact on the next generation, both positively and negatively. It is an act of great responsibility, one of the last to be taken on in life.
You can find the whole interview with Kai Jonas in our book:
To person
Dr. Kai Jonas (born 1972) is a social psychologist. He currently holds the Chair of Applied Social Psychology at Maastricht University / NL and is also President of the European Association of Social Psychology and Editor-in-Chief of Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology. maastrichtuniversity.nl/kai.jonas
"Inherit without conflict" (Hogrefe)
Together with his father Hubertus A. Jonas, Kai Jonas has written a guide for responsible inheritance. Very good help and food for thought for all those who want to take good care of their inheritance. The two authors guide you through difficult questions: What does justice mean to me? What are my motives? What could solutions look like?
Tasks and checklists help to implement the content described, tips on how to organize a conversation make it easier to address this taboo subject with the relatives concerned. The guide conveys strategies for optimizing the settlement of your own estate.