What is the psychology of poverty

Once before the experts in the field of psychology and economics, the task arose to answer questions about how much money is needed for happiness, why someone is doing well, and who is not, and, finally, how the rich man's psychology differs from the poor. To date, a clear understanding has been formed that wealth is first and foremost work on oneself, and without a psychological aspect it is impossible. Let's see what the psychology of poverty and wealth is.

Distribution of income

People with different income levels distribute cash flows in different ways.

Secured people in the receipt and spending of money often follow the "norm" strategy. They really assess their needs and opportunities, earn how much they planned, spend as much as they need, and make savings.

People with an average income level usually live on the "plain" strategy. They earn exactly as much as they plan to spend. With such a strategy, a person is devoid of any financial development. He always has a need to cover his expenses and there is no time for growth. Accordingly, the issue of accumulation of funds is not a question.

And, finally, people whose income is below average, usually profess the strategy of "pit". They make big plans for their money, while they earn little and spend a lot. Over time, inability and unwillingness to earn leads to the fact that a person is constantly in material subordination. He blindly fulfills the requirements of the one on whom his material condition depends.

Attitude towards money

One scientist and researcher found that people with high incomes tend to notice the connection between money and achievements than all the others. With an increase in income, the role of money in a person's life first increases, and then decreases. Such an entertaining psychology. Money is most needed for those who have an average level of prosperity. It was also noted that with increasing income, a person's inclination to conceal the value of his earnings increases.

Studies show that a person's attitude to such factors as power, quality, prestige, anxiety and mistrust does not depend on the amount of money. In other words, the level of happiness does not have a direct connection with the level of income. There are much stronger sources of happiness: leisure makes us happier by 42%; Family - by 39%; Work (as a way to realize their potential) - by 38%; Friends - by 37%; Relations with the opposite sex - by 34%; And, finally, health - by 34%. The attitude to money expresses unmet needs of a person and determines the model of his behavior in the sphere of social and economic relations.

The attitude to money reflects such factors:

1. Tabulation of money. To date, talk about intimate relationships is less banned than about the money and income level of the interlocutor. Questions about the level of earnings are considered bad form.
2. Age and sex. Men are more rational than women in terms of spending money. When there is no opportunity to buy something, it is the girls who are more distressed. The older the person, the better he knows the value of money.
3. Personal characteristics, in particular, self-esteem. The lower it is, the more people attach importance to money.

The attitude to material goods is formed under the influence of such factors:

1. Experiences of early childhood.
2. Intergroup rivalry.
3. Beliefs.
4. Parental attitude to money.

Each of us has a certain "financial corridor", and we unconsciously strive to be in it. At an unconscious level, a person sees and notices only those circumstances and facts that correspond to his personal beliefs, ignoring information that does not match his picture of the world. To expand their capabilities, you need to get out of the comfort zone, learn to recognize your mistakes and constantly try something new. The psychology of poverty rejects development and very much limits a person, not allowing him to reveal his potential.

Common myths about money

1. Money is omnipotent. To assert that everything is bought and sold, only a person who has not decided on the meaning of his life can. It is interesting to note that it is the psychology of poverty that presupposes such a worldview. Rich people know that it is not money that rules the world.
2. Money is the criterion of social adaptation of a person. In other words - the more they have a person, the more they appreciate, love and respect. Sincere respect can not be bought.
3. Money spoils a person. A poor man whose psychology blocks development, as a rule, believes that money is evil, and they spoil people. In fact, financial well-being only strengthens those qualities of the personality that prevail. Thus, money makes a good man generous, brave - heroic, evil - aggressive, and greedy - stingy.
4. You can not earn big money honestly. A very common excuse for poor people. To date, a huge number of people seek financial well-being honestly. Those whose picture of the world is corrected by the psychology of poverty is not given to understand that many well-off people fundamentally conduct their business honestly. In this regard, it is impossible to call successful, for example, an official who built his fortune by taking bribes. He is rich, but not successful, and most importantly - unhappy. Moreover, if you dig deeper, he is not even rich, because his well-being depends not on skills and professionalism, but on a temporary position.

Why do people crave money?

In the pursuit of wealth, a person often tries to secure security, power, freedom or love. Let's analyze each of the factors separately:

• Security. Often a person's need for emotional security causes a desire for prosperity and fear of poverty. The psychology of such people is formed in connection with childhood traumas. Increasing income returns the very sense of security that was felt in childhood. Money helps to overcome anxiety. From this point of view, people can be divided into 4 categories:

1. Miser. Such people find the main sense of financial activity in saving.
2. Ascetic. For people of this group, ostentatious poverty and self-denial are a great pleasure.
3. Hunter for discounts. This person will not spend money until he is in the most advantageous position. Discouraged by the prospect of acquiring something at an unreasonably low price, he can spend his savings irrationally, acquire unnecessary things. And the prospect of buying something more expensive in a person dulls the fear of poverty. The psychology of poverty often manifests itself in the pursuit of profit. More details about the relationship to discounts will be told a little lower.
4. A fanatical collector. Such people are inclined to erect in the cult of things that can replace them even relationships with loved ones.

• Power. Money and the prospect of gaining power, which they open, are often seen as an attempt to return to infantile fantasies of omnipotence. Those who seek money from power, are often quite aggressive in the embodiment of their ambitions. From the point of view of the aspiration to power, people are divided into such groups:

1. Manipulator. Such a person manipulates others by means of money, using their greed and vanity.
2. The builder of the empire. Such people are always confident in their abilities. They deny their dependence on anyone and try to make others dependent on themselves.
3. Godfather. This type of people buys for money the fidelity and loyalty of others, often resorting to bribes.

• Freedom. From the point of view of freedom, money acts as a panacea for routine, opening the possibility to manage its time and without any obstacles to fulfill its desires and dreams. In itself, the desire for freedom as a motivation for earning money is very commendable, the main thing is that a person should feel the measure. From the point of view of freedom people are divided into such groups:

1. The buyer of freedom. These people position their self-sufficiency as the main goal in life. Far from always they can enlist the support of relatives.
2. Freedom fighter. A vivid representative of this group is a radical politician who rejects money in various ways as a result of enslaving people.

• Love. Many people think that by increasing their income, they will receive the devotion and love of others. Such people can be conditionally called "buyers of love." They give to others in the hope of getting their location. Often the presence of money gives a person a feeling that he is more attractive to the opposite sex.

Many, not realizing that the main task is to solve the existential problem, are trying to earn more money, and as a result they do not become happier. Here, as an example, we can recall the saying that one can buy a bed for money, but not a dream; Medicines, but not health; House, but not coziness; Ornaments, but not beauty; Entertainment, but not happiness, and so on.

Thus, often completely non-financial goals become financial tasks for a person, which is certainly a big mistake and does not affect a problem like the poverty syndrome. The psychology of self-preservation distances a person from solving his problem. As a rule, to realize an old dream, a person needs very little money. And sometimes they are not needed.

Psychological portrait of a poor person

To justify themselves and their poverty, people form certain attitudes in their worldview. Let's analyze what psychological barriers do not allow a person to get out of poverty, which prevents him from gaining financial independence.

Complaints about life

Perhaps, this is the first distinguishing feature of a person in whose mind the psychology of poverty prevails. Very often people complain about their country, their relatives, unfavorable times, external shortcomings and so on. All this testifies to reactive thinking, which assumes that a person adapts to the environment. Successful people preach projective thinking, changing the environment that does not suit them. This is the difference between poverty and wealth. The psychology of solutions is inherent in the rich and successful. The poor prefer only to discuss their problems. On the same principle, the psychology of the leader is built. Radislav Gandapas, the most titled business coach in Russia, says: "If the environment does not suit you, leave it, change it, or die in it ... just do not complain!" Thus, the first thing to note when answering the question of how to get rid From the psychology of poverty, this is the fact that you need to stop complaining. And not only to others, but to oneself.

"They all owe me"

Psychologically poor people are often sure that they all need it (country, employer, parents, children, wife / husband and so on). In this way, people shift their responsibility to others. A successful person is used to doing everything himself. He is fully responsible for his life and will never say that someone owes him.

Unloved and low-paid, but stable work

Another very common manifestation of the psychology of poverty. People are ready to give all their time to unloved work, which steadily brings them income. They can hate their leader and colleagues, get very tired, live with constant dreams about Friday and salary, but do not change anything. People are afraid to leave, because this means some kind of uncertainty and uncertainty, which the psychology of poverty rejects. A successful person will not get hung up on one job. He is confident in his abilities and is ready to knock on any door. In addition, he always looks for additional sources of income and tries to monetize his hobby.

Fear of change

Man by nature tends to peace and stability. But often, in order to achieve success, including financial, you need to be prepared for change. It can be a change of work, moving, opening your own business and so on. And if a person is poor and does not change anything, how will he become rich? The one who refuses to open up to everything new inevitably forms a psychology of poverty. How to fix this problem? Just start to do atypical things for yourself - and soon you will get from this excitement and energy.

Low self-esteem

Not all people who can be called poor complain about life. Many of them understand everything, but consider themselves unworthy of more. Of course, if a person has not achieved anything and has nothing to be proud of, then there is nowhere to take a self-assessment. However, the lack of achievements should stimulate action, rather than self-flagellation.

Inactivity

As a rule, people with the psychology of poverty are inactive. This manifests itself both in relations with others and in everyday life. This is connected, again, with the reluctance to learn something unknown and risk, and also with fear of failure. After all, if nothing is done, then there is nowhere to admit mistakes. Hence, getting rid of the psychology of poverty requires active action, constant development and the search for opportunities.

Envy

Very unpleasant sign of the psychology of poverty. If a person openly or secretly envies someone whose life has been better, he is doomed to poverty. Of course, in rare cases, envy can become a motivator, but it's more a rivalry, not an envy. If a person has a desire for rivalry, then this is not entirely a psychology of poverty. Signs of poverty are worth eradicating in a complex way, but it is necessary to get rid of envy first. Instead of envying someone, you need to ask yourself about what efforts have been made to be better. And comparing yourself with someone does not make sense, because everyone has his own life.

Greed

It is worth mentioning that greed and economy are not the same thing. A greedy person puts money at the highest priority, he refuses to himself in everything and does not live as he would like. The economical person, in turn, does what he wants, but at the same time intelligently plans his budget. However, both these traits are not peculiar to rich people, but if economy helps in a number of cases, then greed destroys us from within. Greed is worth eradicating, because it will never lead to success.

"All at once"

People with the psychology of poverty often dream of getting everything right away, and, of course, doing nothing. Of course, this does not happen. To achieve financial well-being, you need to understand how hard money gets. Otherwise, the person will not be able to cope with them. People with a psychology of poverty on the question "What will you do if you get a million?" Usually reply that they will spend it on some entertainment. A person with the psychology of wealth will say that he will invest this million in a business that will bring him income. Having achieved success, he will certainly return that very million.

Passion for easy money

This feature is somewhat similar to the previous one. All poor people adore discounts and easy money. Greed is it or economy is not important. It is important that the passion for easy money is a feature of an unsuccessful and poor person. When a person is self-sufficient, he takes the offer to save as a threat and a catch. Successful do not like discounts, because he knows that he can afford to pay the full cost. Wherever there is a choice between "paying" or "not paying", he pays. For example, why there are no discounts in premium car brands? Not because potential buyers do not consider money, but because they are afraid of discounts. This includes bribery, blat, and so on. That is why not every wealthy person is rich. He is rich in purse, but poor in worldview.

"Take," and not "give"

One of the most persistent signs of a truly rich person is service. Agree, it sounds paradoxical. Let's understand. What does a poor man dream about? Usually this is a good car, a good house, rest and other attributes of wealth. Moreover, as a rule, to the question "What else?" He responds with something like: "Well ... a car, and you can do it better." A rich man rarely thinks about his needs. His task is to make the lives of others better. At first it spreads to the family, then to the city, and then to the country. That's why many successful people give huge money to charity. The poor man will say: "Sins are praying!" And what else can he say, if he thinks in categories "to take", not to "give", and does not understand how one can give someone some money earned by sweat and blood.

Service is a huge source of motivation and vitality. This is the strongest thing that is incomprehensible to people with the psychology of poverty. Service can be identified with the psychology of the leader, father and God.

Formation of the goal

Scientists have proven that success is most often achieved by those who clearly know what they want. In one of the most prestigious universities in the world, a survey was conducted with one simple question: "Do you set clear, written goals for the future?" The result showed that 3% of respondents write down their goals, 13% know what they want, but do not write down , And the remaining 84% do not have any clear goals, except to finish their studies. Ten years later, these same people were asked about the level of their income. It was revealed: the respondents who had goals, but did not record them, earn twice as much as those who did not set a goal. But the most interesting thing is that those same 3% of respondents who wrote down their goals, earn ten times more than all the rest. Here, perhaps, and nothing to add.

How to overcome the psychology of poverty?

So, to summarize what has been said, we will draw a conclusion. How to get rid of the psychology of poverty? For this you need:

1. Stop complaining!
2. Understand that no one owes nothing to anyone!
3. Stop holding on to the least favorite job!
4. Love change and action!
5. Act, thereby increasing your self-esteem!
6. Do not waste time on impractical actions!
7. Eradicate envy in yourself!
8. Do not wait for a quick result!
9. Eradicate the passion for easy money!
10. Motivate yourself to succeed through service!
11. Write down your goals!

Conclusion

Today we have figured out what the psychology of poverty and wealth is. Surprisingly, in our time, when there are so many conditions and opportunities for financial well-being, as well as tools for its provision (books, trainings, etc.), many suffer from a lack of money. Unequivocally, the reason for everything is not the external factors, but the psychology of poverty. The book on success and financial well-being is unlikely to help someone who is poor in their thoughts or just afraid to change something. Therefore, above all, you need to work on yourself and your worldview!