Poor and middle class as a mentality

[Hulhala15]

I don't know how about you, guys, but I really think that the poverty is in people's heads.
It goes without saying that it is important in which family you are born. It can be so poor that you will never even think about education or money, but you'll be a thief like your father and your grandfather. There are so many families like this nowadays especially in Latin America and Africa. Children from those families don't even have a chance to become a respected and legally rich person.
My point is that surely everybody should start with some startup fund and rich people will have better funds. However, it is not the most important thing as we have already heard a lot of stories when the rich successors of the rich malies fail to expand the richness and go broke. On the contrary, there were a lot of people from the poor families who made their fortune on their own. More than that, there is one more alternative scenario: remember the people who won the lottery and blew all the money during a year. They were just not ready for such money and they didn't know what to do.

[dark1234]

being poor or rich is one of the cycles of life but how we get results and can be happy with what we get is not measured by how poor or rich we are, but what is clear is trying to make money honestly is a behavior that many middle class people do while rich people tend to deny this

[bryant.coleman]

Rich people become richer while the poor/middle class will remain the same or even become poorer. This is about our mindset of what we do now. Poor/Middle-class people never teach in school how to grow their money but instead, they have been taught how to become a slave ( go to school and find a job after). While Rich people have been taught how to grow their businesses and make more businesses.

One factor that has a huge influence on our minds is what we get from school. Mostly we are financially illiterate which brought us to become less fortunate and it is really hard to change.

You can say that rich people get the advantage of readily available capital. But no one teaches them how to get rich. Even the poor guys can enroll for a good MBA course and get to know how to setup businesses. But then, starting capital can always be the problem. But if their business idea is so good, then it won't be very hard to receive VC funding from angel investors. The most important thing, is to have a unique idea that can work in real life. But then it will be wrong to expect everyone to come up with such ideas. For others, the only option is to work for someone else.

[bittraffic]

Ultimately if the government of the country will not try to nurture the citizen in terms of health and finance, it all depends on an individual who could break the invisible chain and not sell themselves short. Get rich or die trying.

Parents I guess have to teach their kids with pride so they could look at themselves morally high and strive for success. My parents are fishermen, always teach me not to steal and teach us how to catch fish by ourselves. So if I have something to buy, I will have to work hard for it. Catching more fish and then sell for money.

[DrBeer]

The stratification in society has always been, is and will be. This is the norm and it's ok The question is how a person positions himself and what goals he sets. As a child, one smart person said to me - "always strive to get into a more developed, more advanced, richer society! This is an opportunity for self-development and an opportunity to get good acquaintances and connections." The idea is absolutely correct and achievable. True, it is not a fact that everyone will enter the circles, for example, of the Rockefeller families or the Baruch clan, but at least they will start their way to the top. Yes, you must also understand that there are no guarantees that you will even be able to get to the next step - there are many factors that can prevent this. But this does not mean that one must sink to the bottom of society! Or you can choose the path of "stability" and do nothing stably to change the quality of your life, which many people do

[qwertyup23]

I find it very interesting that people who live in first-world countries can take any job that they want. They can pursue any job and at the same time follow their dreams. Whereas, people who live in third-world countries are forced to take at least any job in order to alleviate their situation from poverty.

Although the statement that I mentioned above is not absolute, the mindset of the rich varies greatly from the poor especially when we talk about opportunities.

Ultimately if the government of the country will not try to nurture the citizen in terms of health and finance, it all depends on an individual who could break the invisible chain and not sell themselves short. Get rich or die trying.

Parents I guess have to teach their kids with pride so they could look at themselves morally high and strive for success. My parents are fishermen, always teach me not to steal and teach us how to catch fish by ourselves. So if I have something to buy, I will have to work hard for it. Catching more fish and then sell for money.

The government plays an important role in the well-being of its citizens. It also greatly depends upon the opportunities that the government can possibly provide in order to address the issues surrounding the country. But, if the government is corrupt, then it is upon the individual on how he can alleviate himself from poverty.

[oHnK]

But, if the government is corrupt, then it is upon the individual on how he can alleviate himself from poverty.

When we talked about the government's corruption, that will not end. The corruption come from the greedy of human being. So, for the country which has many cases about corruption, that means the wheel of principal cant work effectively. The poverty which built the poor mentality  will be a culture of their life. One solution for them is only from them too, because without intention from within will damage ur life.

[lixer]

I agree that even or sometimes especially in urban cities, if you live on the wrong side of the gap, it's really not a fun life. I went to my capital myself in my teens and it was a pretty big culture shock. No swanky neighbourhoods, renting spaces on the floor and not rooms, sharing with 20 other people and using communal taps and bathrooms.

But there, at least there was access to better your life and escape the cycle, is what I'm saying. You talk of a time when Kings didn't have computers. I talk of a time when most of the world will live and die without the opportunity to read or write, much less touch a computer.

But there is a mentality at play here for sure. You can't break out without the right one.

Dude I at least know that the things I can reach to matters a lot, like for example no king in history (ok maybe not the kings currenty) that we all heard of in history books ever had access to internet, can you imagine a life without internet?

It is like surreal that we can talk to each other like this, it is surreal that we can reach to any information we ever want, sometimes true facts, sometimes lies but at the end of the day we are talking about something that is quite unique for us. That is why I personally feel like it is awesome and I really want to feel okay about not living in New York or London and I am happy with wherever because I know that as long as I have internet and my computer then I am living better than almost everyone in history ever, even kings. Know that you are luckier than anyone in history even in health stuff, because medicine improved insanely better.

[jostorres]

The stratification in society has always been, is and will be. This is the norm and it's ok The question is how a person positions himself and what goals he sets. As a child, one smart person said to me - "always strive to get into a more developed, more advanced, richer society! This is an opportunity for self-development and an opportunity to get good acquaintances and connections." The idea is absolutely correct and achievable. True, it is not a fact that everyone will enter the circles, for example, of the Rockefeller families or the Baruch clan, but at least they will start their way to the top. Yes, you must also understand that there are no guarantees that you will even be able to get to the next step - there are many factors that can prevent this. But this does not mean that one must sink to the bottom of society! Or you can choose the path of "stability" and do nothing stably to change the quality of your life, which many people do

The problem with that advice is that it teaches a kid to leave where he is and go to a better place instead of staying and fixing what's wrong in his own society. I can leave today and go to England, I do have that chance, I have people I know there and maybe I will work for minimum wage but I would still be able to work, and that means I could live there, England is a much much much improved nation compared to what my current place can offer, it is just 10x better civilization already, it is like comparing 19th century versus 21st century when you compare them together.

However that didn't made me go there, instead I stayed where I am and joined groups that tries to better the world, not always big major changes of course, but even a small work helps, I am donating my time and that's it nothing more but I do help stray pets who need help, I help education of some kids that have no parents, and I help providing food and wood for families that need it, even doing that for my own society feels like I am helping my society get better instead of running away.

[jaysabi]

I couldn't agree more with the statement that Don't give cash assistance to poor people because it only adds to poverty in their brains, but provide them with livelihood assistance and ways to make money to support their lives.  Because between giving fish or fishing rods to poor fishermen will be very much different but there are many mistakes that occur in the government, they only focus on providing cash assistance to the community just to cover up the bad government behind the assistance such as corruption in their institutional.

Nowadays I am seeing governments around the world trying this approach, by distributing welfare payments. In the US, Biden government has proposed giving out financial assistance based on the number of children in the family. So in case a family produce 10-12 children, then they will receive a payment of around $3,000 per month from the government. I find these sort of measures very short sighted. In the long term, people will just sit at home and produce children without doing any productive activity. And those who work hard will find a large majority of their salaries taken away in the form of taxes.

They're not payments, they're tax credits which offset taxes owed, which means you only get them if you have income in the first place and they reduce the amount of tax you pay.  You can't have 0 income and just get money for having kids under the program.  Also, the US under taxes to such an extent that nobody has a "large majority" of their salaries taken away in the form of taxes.  You have to be an extremely high income earner to even approach 50% tax rate and live in an area with multiple levels of high tax rates.  In other words, you built a strawman argument of a situation that exists very infrequently in reality, and in the specific case of people paying a "large majority" of their income in taxes, not at all.

[DrBeer]

The stratification in society has always been, is and will be. This is the norm and it's ok The question is how a person positions himself and what goals he sets. As a child, one smart person said to me - "always strive to get into a more developed, more advanced, richer society! This is an opportunity for self-development and an opportunity to get good acquaintances and connections." The idea is absolutely correct and achievable. True, it is not a fact that everyone will enter the circles, for example, of the Rockefeller families or the Baruch clan, but at least they will start their way to the top. Yes, you must also understand that there are no guarantees that you will even be able to get to the next step - there are many factors that can prevent this. But this does not mean that one must sink to the bottom of society! Or you can choose the path of "stability" and do nothing stably to change the quality of your life, which many people do

The problem with that advice is that it teaches a kid to leave where he is and go to a better place instead of staying and fixing what's wrong in his own society. I can leave today and go to England, I do have that chance, I have people I know there and maybe I will work for minimum wage but I would still be able to work, and that means I could live there, England is a much much much improved nation compared to what my current place can offer, it is just 10x better civilization already, it is like comparing 19th century versus 21st century when you compare them together.

However that didn't made me go there, instead I stayed where I am and joined groups that tries to better the world, not always big major changes of course, but even a small work helps, I am donating my time and that's it nothing more but I do help stray pets who need help, I help education of some kids that have no parents, and I help providing food and wood for families that need it, even doing that for my own society feels like I am helping my society get better instead of running away.

Firstly, it's very nice that there are people like you, I respect your choice and your path!

At the same time, I will add that you did not quite understand me correctly. I was not talking about changing the place of residence or abandoning poor relatives, but about the fact that for personal development it is necessary to communicate in a more "developed" society, which will increase the level of knowledge, gain quality experience, and gain access to great opportunities. All this can be used to solve a host of problems - from attracting investment to poor areas, to giving people from, no offense, a less developed stratum an opportunity to make an attempt to raise their living standards! Like any "tool" - knowledge, experience, connections can be used in any way - for good and for harm, for many or only for oneself.
For a better understanding, a simple example - it is difficult to learn, for example, English if you only have a dictionary, and much easier to learn if you find yourself in a language environment, for example, in Britain or the United States. And when you raise the level of the language - you can use it as you like - you can find a good job in this country, or return to your country and start a business with international partners or for their market, and invest money in your city, or in their relatives.

[Barinekapaul]

Been poor and at a middle-class level should not be appreciated by someone, modalities, and plans need to be worked to erase some belief filling the mind of the people.
The poor and middle-class people in the society generate more respect for the rich in the society.
A rich mindset is a prerequisite of becoming rich and one that has achieved such a level has to displace some level of difference from others thereby making them see the rich to be arrogant.

To be poor is not what should occupy one's heart, but ways to escape from that circle should be the ultimate goal of such people.

Think rich, Be rich, and Sustain your Riches for;

Being poor and middle-class is not and can never be the solution.

[Davidvictorson]

I believe that nature- nurture plays a major role here. First the major influence on any humans life is family. The second influence is environment. I live in a country where over and again I've seen folks who grew up wretched become CEOs of their own company even without any sort of formal education but through a "positive family mindset" and their "environment".

Granted, we may not be able to choose if we are born into wealth or poverty but we can choose if we die rich or poor. Too many poor folks suffer from victim mentality. If you're poor and you want to be rich, here's a simple task go work as a janitor, chauffeur for the rich for 6months. I promise you life would never remain the same again.

[ReiMomo]

Some people are born rich or moderately rich, some are born middle class and some are born poor or extremely poor. All these conditions come along with a set of survival guides that the parents, relatives and even teachers will pass along as a map of life. For example, in a school of a country that does not give opportunity to its people, where most of the students are poor, it is unlikely that the teachers will induce them to think big or have big dreams...more likely they will aim to keep them apart from drugs, avoid problems with the government and try to imbue some basic skill for life. The ultra-poor do not even get that - which actually may be better.

In a preppy school, where most of the students are rich-born, the conversation is quite different. Culture, life, opportunity, spirit-de-corps and class mentality are imbued in the same manner, so the kids will somehow justify in their minds that they have the right to be rich even if they have not done anything for anyone in their lives - perhaps not even for themselves - because of some Darwinian property of cosmos.

As a result, the poor and even middle class have to jump over one real barrier, their lack of funds, and more importantly, like the Elephant that learns young that he cannot break the chains and never tries again, over their own state of mind, their own prison set by the terms of those who trying to help taught them to avoid anything but doing the same that keeps them poor.

A good topic. People at any stage, try to be rich. This is being the core target in each one's life. When one travels towards it, as you said, too many face struggles. Here where their ability to sustain or achieve is challenged. Many just give up consoling themselves as what they have is enough, but others, step forward either risking themselves in any business they know and succeed or loose based on where they have put up the business. Those who were born poor become rich or who were born rich, learn to main their standard or upgrade.

[jostorres]

Firstly, it's very nice that there are people like you, I respect your choice and your path!

At the same time, I will add that you did not quite understand me correctly. I was not talking about changing the place of residence or abandoning poor relatives, but about the fact that for personal development it is necessary to communicate in a more "developed" society, which will increase the level of knowledge, gain quality experience, and gain access to great opportunities. All this can be used to solve a host of problems - from attracting investment to poor areas, to giving people from, no offense, a less developed stratum an opportunity to make an attempt to raise their living standards! Like any "tool" - knowledge, experience, connections can be used in any way - for good and for harm, for many or only for oneself.
For a better understanding, a simple example - it is difficult to learn, for example, English if you only have a dictionary, and much easier to learn if you find yourself in a language environment, for example, in Britain or the United States. And when you raise the level of the language - you can use it as you like - you can find a good job in this country, or return to your country and start a business with international partners or for their market, and invest money in your city, or in their relatives.

Now that I understand you, how about a middle way that would be both good for your view and good for my view as well. We now have internet under our hands, internet is very easy to access even in some of the worst countries in the world, my country provides one of the most expensive (compared to minimum wage a standard internet is 10% of minimum wage) for speed that is funny, it literally takes a minute for me to open a webpage sometimes, I have under 10 mbps for that much money.

However we still have access to it. I never went to anywhere else in the world, and yet I can speak English "fairly" well, sure I am not a native speaker but here I am writing on this forum and I rarely get complaints on my English, so you can learn English wherever you are as long as you want to. The middle way offer : Stay in your country but work online with other nations? Freelancing basically, or startup, or whatever you want online, that way you work with foreigners and get education, network, partnership, business, money from them but you are not leaving your nation neither.

[NicNacCoin]

It's a very important and effective topic . Man's born the system of his fate , some people born in a gigantic family some are very poor family and same in middle class. But all struggle the same manner, work hard to change your fate. Poor family members don't charge their fate due to attractive motivation on drugs, corruption and unsocial activities, some Rich members also have addicted above mentioned issues that turn into poor categories.

[Ausgewielt]

I born in poor family but luckily my family's religion guide everything about life, it is not only about praying and reciting. If I born in poor atheist family maybe I will find difficulties to surpass that barrier because maybe that family only can teach just what they know and experience and I am sure that they didn't experience everything in this world. But my religion guide me how to have good manner, aware about how important to always learn in any age, act correctly in society and etc. Actually without help from government I think only that is enough, government only need to provide infrastructures to learn such as school, university and etc. My religion teach me the good way to talk, walk, eat, look, act and etc. The most important thing is anything that we do in society must not harm or disturbing others so we can be acceptable in any class of society.

[Sithara007]

They're not payments, they're tax credits which offset taxes owed, which means you only get them if you have income in the first place and they reduce the amount of tax you pay.  You can't have 0 income and just get money for having kids under the program.  Also, the US under taxes to such an extent that nobody has a "large majority" of their salaries taken away in the form of taxes.  You have to be an extremely high income earner to even approach 50% tax rate and live in an area with multiple levels of high tax rates.  In other words, you built a strawman argument of a situation that exists very infrequently in reality, and in the specific case of people paying a "large majority" of their income in taxes, not at all.

Even in case they are tax credits, there is a need to have a maximum limit on the number of children who can be used to avail this benefit. I would limit it to a maximum of 4 children. It is not fair, for the American tax payer to subsidize someone with 10 children, while an average tax payer family struggles to afford 2 children. And the proposed plan from Biden (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) is not just limited to tax credits. It includes Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as well as direct cash payments. The latter group makes for the majority of the expenses.

[Tumanggor]

being poor or rich is one of the cycles of life but how we get results and can be happy with what we get is not measured by how poor or rich we are, but what is clear is trying to make money honestly is a behavior that many middle class people do while rich people tend to deny this

there is also much middle class who earn money dishonestly
I remember the wise words that Jack Ma said: "human destiny is only death, the rest is our efforts and hard work"

rich is a mindset and not destiny and this has been proven by millions of successful people around the world
while those who are poor always blame circumstances and continue to think that being poor is destiny

[Nora Olin]

I think this is very realistic. But this does not mean that the poor cannot succeed. Many famous billionaires were not born in wealthy families. Their perseverance and wisdom made them. No matter where you start, you should have the right attitude, understand what you want, whether you want your children to be as ordinary as yourself, or strive for a better future for future generations. It depends on their own choice.