In 1977, author Susan Howatch published “The Rich Are Different,” a novel about an Englishwoman who, through illicit romantic involvement, finds herself entwined in the fate of her American paramour’s banking family.

Plot and characters aside, the book’s title springs to mind after hearing multiple reports on the experimental nature of the Titan submersible in which OceanGate Expeditions ferry the curious — and well heeled — to the ocean floor to lay their eyes on the wreckage of the most infamous maritime disaster in history.

The five individuals inside the craft perished early last week when the submersible, which was neither licensed nor registered in any country, imploded near the wreck of the Titanic.

As everyone now knows, the pressure at 12,500 feet beneath the ocean’s surface exerts enough pressure to crush an experimental submersible like a pop can if a failure occurs.

Amid the expressions of sympathy in the tragedy, the question arises: Do some lose their sense of self-preservation once they accrue a certain amount of money?

Are those among the Earth’s wealthiest individuals so bored with their lives that the only means of stimulation left are to board a non-NASA rocket and blast into space or stuff oneself into a tiny submarine for a voyage to the ocean floor?

Most average joes would not participate in either of those activities if a ticket were purchased for them.

Regarding those who have patronized OceanGate Expedition, the cost of a ride to the Titanic is $250,000 per person.

In addition, many feel the wreckage of the “unsinkable” Titanic is a sacred space that should be considered a cemetery and maintained as such in perpetuity out of respect for the 1,503 souls who are interred there.

But if there are millions to be made and fame to be gained, it seems common sense is sometimes placed on the back burner.

Hopefully the tragedy in the North Atlantic will lead to some oversight regarding these flights of fancy by the ultrawealthy.

— PJG