Poor and Rich: 6 Differences in Habits and Beliefs

03.07.2024 10:20
Updated: 28.09.2024 01:32

Recently, the opinion has been gaining momentum that a person’s financial well-being is influenced by his thinking and habits.

And indeed, psychologists have identified many patterns in the baggage of beliefs and lifestyles of the poor and the rich.

What are their differences?

Psychology of the victim

If a person says that he is poor because the government is like that/there are low salaries in the country/his parents are not wealthy, most likely nothing in his life will change.

This is called victim psychology - shifting responsibility for your well-being to the world around you. You are unlikely to hear this from rich people: they realize that their life is in their hands, and they build it themselves.

money
Photo: © Belnovosti

The race for stability

It has been noted that the poor are afraid to take risks and choose a stable salary for hours worked, and very few people enjoy their work. The same cannot be said about the rich - these are those who are passionate about their work.

It is impossible to succeed in something you don't like. The poor are simply afraid to try something new or start a business, so they choose the stability they hate.

Attitude to money

“Money is not the most important thing”, “money is evil”, “to become successful you have to work hard”, “it is impossible to earn a lot honestly” and many other negative beliefs prevent people from improving their financial situation.

The poor are often afraid of money: many do not know how to handle it, others worry that people will only communicate with them for selfish reasons, others are afraid of possible losses or lack of time for family and hobbies, and some do not want to take on such responsibility as wealth.

Wealthy people do not demonize money and are ready for large quantities of it.

Development

Another obvious difference is that successful people are all self-improving and learning throughout their lives.

They usually have many interests and hobbies, some of which can be monetized later.

The rich spend their free time on books and trainings, courses and self-education.

On weekends, the poor can most often be found watching TV, reading trash content on the Internet, and other useless activities.

Healthy lifestyle

Most rich people are united by their concern for their health. This is not only high-quality medical care, but also healthy eating and sports.

This gives energy and strength for new achievements, and also prolongs life. In the piggy bank of the poor, you can often find bad habits, excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle.

Financial literacy

Perhaps the main difference between the poor and the rich is that there is not a single successful person in nature who does not know how to handle money (unless, of course, financial well-being was achieved independently, and not with the help of parents or inheritance).

The rich live within their means, acquiring assets (businesses, investments – stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.).

These people understand that wealth requires skillful use of financial instruments and are constantly learning how to do this, and also have a long-term strategy and regularly save at least 10% of their income.

The poor, as a rule, live from paycheck to paycheck, do not think about the future and have debts – they spend more than they earn.

In addition, they usually have only one source of income, which also entails the risk of holes in the budget: illness or loss of a job can be very disruptive.

Success is not luck or "fate", but a very specific work on yourself, persistence and hard work. By putting your head in order and acquiring useful habits, you can significantly improve your financial situation.

Earlier it was reported that Belarus wants to ask Russia to provide an additional credit line.

Vitaly Kisterny Author: Vitaly Kisterny Editor-in-Chief


Content
  1. Psychology of the victim
  2. The race for stability
  3. Attitude to money
  4. Development
  5. Healthy lifestyle
  6. Financial literacy