It is relatively easy to experience a weakness of spirit. The world can quickly appear crushing and overwhelming. To push back against these forces — the forces of negativity and failure — requires an extraordinary effort. In the modern era, and perhaps in all times, it is far easier to succumb to poverty thinking and simply become one more broken being.
Poverty thinking limits a person from achieving their full potential. It is called “poverty thinking” because the mindset impoverishes us by taking something away. It diminishes our possibilities and narrows our vision. It takes many forms: financial, intellectual, and spiritual, to name only a few.
Financial poverty thinking presents itself at the very first crack of consciousness, long before our first job or career. From childhood and adolescence, we are constantly exposed to the idea of scarcity. Someone tells us that an item is too expensive. We are told that another person is rich. We become aware that our social class may not be the same as that of our friends. Very quickly, financial limitations are placed before us.
This perception is reinforced through schooling. Some classmates may dress better than we do or possess gadgets and phones that others cannot afford. Later, we attend university and enter the workforce. It becomes painfully clear that a modest salary may never allow us to purchase many of the items society presents as benchmarks of success.
We all know many people who share this way of thinking. They have completed their education, earned respectable degrees, and nevertheless believe they will never own a home through their own efforts. (1) Some receive help from parents, family members, or perhaps a wealthy relative. Others may inherit property. Yet for many, this feels a little like cheating, because the achievement was not accomplished solely through personal effort. Material success may be attained, but the negative mental state often remains.
This mentality seeps into every aspect of life. One encounters students from affluent homes who nevertheless suffer from poverty of spirit. They lack self-confidence, ambition, vision, and imagination. If a person cannot imagine a better place than the one he currently occupies, he will never escape poverty thinking.
Ultimately, we arrive at spiritual poverty. This form may be the most significant of all. With the advent of modern technology, we increasingly live in what often feels like a soulless age. (2) Today, I can have an intimate conversation with a machine. It therefore becomes easy for the thoughtless person to conclude that there is nothing greater than humanity itself; there is no God because technology appears capable of creating almost anything. Yet this does not answer the fundamental question: What happens to me when I leave this world?
The New Atheist movement (3) offers a simple answer. Nothing happens — you die and cease to exist. This explanation does not provide psychological comfort. By answering this question, you begin to minimize any feeling of poverty thinking you may have, and are on your way to living a successful and integrated life. Viktor Frankl leaves us with a thought: “Everything can be taken from a man but … the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”
A closing thought: Many studies suggest that religious belief contributes positively to a meaningful life. Is faith merely a comforting delusion, or is it part of a genuine quest for understanding? For those who remain uncertain, Pascal’s Wager (4) may offer a rational path. Why not believe in God? If your belief is correct, your faith is vindicated. If it is incorrect, you will never exist to recognize your error.
How, then, do we escape poverty thinking? We must look to the adventurers of history — those who took risks and refused to be imprisoned by their circumstances. The explorers of the Age of Discovery (5) ventured into the unknown with no guarantee of success. Their efforts aligned with unique historical circumstances and transformed the world. True wealth is therefore not measured merely by what one possesses, but what one believes possible.
To sum up: This week, we spoke about poverty thinking and how to overcome its mindset.
To be noted: From Ben Franklin — I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it.
Just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k63grkip5I&list=RD0k63grkip5I&start_radio=1
For reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeiwjC_VeIU
This week, on your dynamic walk, please reflect on how you, too, can overcome poverty thinking.
Every day, look for something magical and beautiful.
Don’t be a wage slave – critical thinking is great!
Quote: Live your life in a state of wonder and imagination.
Footnotes:
1) https://medium.com/@yuvalshakti25/the-mind-of-people-who-give-up-6719686700e9
2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLLliUZxqyw
3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe5kVw9JsYI&t=21s