Психология бедности: привычки бедных людей, как уйти от мышления бедняка

Многие люди оказываются в ситуации, когда при наличии стабильной работы и желания зарабатывать, они едва сводят концы с концами. Кажется, что это замкнутый круг, выйти из которого просто нереально. На самом деле источник всех проблем находится у человека в голове, а чтобы избавиться от него, нужно серьезно поработать над собой. В статье рассказано о том, что такое психология бедности, приведены привычки, которые обрекают на нищету, а также даны советы, как уйти от мышления бедняка и стать успешным и богатым человеком.

Что такое психология бедности

Психология бедности представляет собой образ мышления человека, при котором он подсознательно обрекает себя на нищету, создает себе препятствия для саморазвития и лишается возможностей зарабатывать больше определенной суммы за конкретный период. При наличии данного типа мышления люди либо теряют деньги, тратя их в никуда, либо не могут перешагнуть некий порог и увеличить свой доход.

Психология бедности в большинстве случаев берет корни в раннем детстве. Ребенок, наблюдая за своими родителями и их финансовым поведением, впитывает подобную модель, считая ее единственно правильной. Во взрослой жизни человек неосознанно продолжает придерживаться этой стратегии.

Влияет на формирование психологии бедности и общество. В нашей стране издревле людям прививали мысль о том, что богатство это плохо, что оно порождает зло и другие пороки. В результате психология бедности стала чуть ли не частью менталитета современного общества. Не удивительно, что вырваться из этого порочного круга удается немногим.   

Признаки психологии бедности

Чтобы понять, действительно ли человеку свойственна психология бедности, важно знать ее основные признаки. Они могут присутствовать одновременно или проявляться выборочно. Основные признаки психологии бедности следующие:

• Зависть и ненависть к более успешным людям. Она может присутствовать не только по отношению к знакомым, но и к совершенно посторонним людям. Человек завидует звездам шоу-бизнеса, политикам, да и просто проезжающим мимо на дорогой машине. Богатых обвиняют в том, что деньги достались им нечестным путем, или им кто-то помог, или им просто несказанно повезло в жизни. При этом чужие неудачи вызывают у таких людей радость и позволяют ощущать себя более успешным;
• Желание создать иллюзию мнимого богатства. Такие люди пытаются жить не по средствам. На последние деньги они покупают дорогие вещи, чтобы выглядеть преуспевающим в глазах друзей и знакомых. Как раз сюда можно отнести ситуацию с “айфоном в кредит”. Кредиты становятся неотъемлемым атрибутом таких людей. Ведь купить хочется все и сразу, при этом совсем не важно, как и на что жить потом;

• Привычка обсуждать свои проблемы и жаловаться на жизнь. Обычно человек с психологией бедности выбирает себе схожее окружение. Весь диалог в дружеской компании сводится к обсуждению проблем и высказыванию недовольства этой жизнью. Часто такие люди любят обсудить в негативном ключе своих общих более успешных знакомых;
• Лень и нежелание выходить из зоны комфорта. Люди с психологией бедности не хотят идти на более высокооплачиваемую работу, так как там придется больше трудиться. О собственном бизнесе и речи быть не может, ведь свое дело требует отдачи 24/7. Они прикрываются мнимой стабильностью, страхом потерять то, что имеют, или находят другие отговорки и оправдания для себя и окружающих.

Признаки психологии бедности куда проще увидеть у других людей. Однако разглядеть и признать их наличие у себя бывает очень сложно.

Психология бедности: привычки бедных людей

Психология бедности формируется у человека не один год. А потому логично, что со временем приобретаются так называемые привычки бедных людей. К ним можно отнести:

• Страх перемен. Люди боятся что-то менять в своей жизни. Им привычнее и комфортнее получать свою небольшую зарплату на нелюбимой работе, чем пробовать что-то новое и искать себя;
• Привычка экономить. Многие считают, что для того, чтобы жить лучше, надо меньше тратить. Это совершенно ошибочное мнение, которое свойственно психологии бедности. Чтобы жить лучше, нужно больше зарабатывать и всеми силами к этому стремиться. Это совсем не значит, что надо тратить деньги направо и налево. Однако важно помнить, что экономия не улучшит благосостояние и никого не сделает богаче;
• Негативное мышление и привычка жаловаться на жизнь. Человек сам себе задает отрицательные установки, часто используя в речи такие фразы, как: “У меня нет денег”, “Я не могу себе это позволить”, “Мне никогда себе этого не купить”, “Я столько не зарабатываю”. Дружеская беседа постоянно переходит в обсуждение проблем, о которых человек рассказывает во всех красках. Некоторые не говорят о своих проблемах, но регулярно прокручивают их в мыслях вместе с фразами, задающими негативные установки;

• “Синдром Плюшкина”. Людям с психологией бедности сложно избавляться от старых ненужных вещей. Они хранят всякий хлам с мыслями “А вдруг когда-нибудь пригодится”;
• Общение с бедняками и пессимистами. Всем известна пословица “Богатый бедному не товарищ”. Действительно, обеспеченные люди стараются подбирать себе аналогичный круг общения. Люди с психологией бедности, напротив, дружат с пессимистами и неудачниками. На их фоне собственные проблемы кажутся не такими критичными, а самооценка хоть немного, но поднимается. Однако как раз от таких людей исходит отрицательная энергетика, которая “тянет вниз”;
• Страх перед большими деньгами. Многие люди боятся даже в мечтах представить себя богатым человеком. При этом они считают, что большие деньги можно получить только нечестным путем. А проблем с законом им, естественно, не хочется;
• Отказ от ответственности. Люди с психологией бедности не привыкли принимать серьезные решения самостоятельно. Они боятся ответственности и всеми способами уходят от нее. В своих неудачах они также винят кого угодно, только не себя.

Привычки бедных людей укореняются в жизни настолько, что абсолютно перестают замечаться. Подобная модель поведения кажется совершенно обычной, и люди не осознают, что их образ мышления создает трудности на пути к богатству.

Как уйти от мышления бедняка

Психология бедности формируется годами и прочно поселяется в сознании человека. Чтобы избавиться от нее, потребуется немало усилий и серьезная работа над собой, потому как уйти от мышления бедняка совсем непросто. Однако нет ничего невозможного и при должном упорстве и старании это обязательно получится.

Обычно психологи рекомендуют следующие способы, как избавиться от психологии бедности:

• Выкинуть из дома весь хлам. Этот пункт выполнить проще всего. Необходимо внимательно перебрать все свои вещи и избавиться от того, чем вы не пользуетесь. И никаких “А вдруг пригодится”. Чтобы запустить в жизнь что-то новое, в данном случае деньги, нужно освободить место, отказавшись от старого;
• Найти дело по душе и развиваться в нем. На нелюбимой работе, которую выполняешь через силу, никогда не получится заработать много денег. Для того, чтобы избавиться от психологии бедности, важно выбрать ту сферу, которая вам действительно нравится, и начать развиваться в ней. Можно получить второе образование, походить на курсы или самостоятельно изучать материалы по теме. В век цифровых технологий практически все можно найти в интернете. Главное помнить, что учиться никогда не поздно;
• Сменить круг общения и темы для разговоров. Чтобы начать общаться с успешными людьми, нужно посещать соответствующие места. Можно начать с тематических форумов, семинаров и встреч с предпринимателями. Не обязательно совсем отказываться от старых друзей, с которыми вы дружите много лет. Однако важно следить, о чем вы разговариваете. Прекратите жаловаться на жизнь сами и выслушивать негатив от других. Общайтесь о чем-то приятном и позитивном. Если же друг предлагает увидеться только для того, чтобы в очередной раз поныть, лучше отказаться от такой встречи;
• Посещать места с “денежной энергетикой”. Чтобы стать обеспеченным, нужно привить себе привычки богатых людей. Ходите хотя бы иногда в элитные рестораны, участвуйте в тест-драйвах дорогих машин, пройдитесь по бутикам с брендовой одеждой. Важно почувствовать себя богатым и самому поверить в то, что все реально;

• Откажитесь от кредитов и перестаньте жить в долг. Для многих это самый сложный пункт. Ведь если денег не хватает от зарплаты до зарплаты, приходится занимать у знакомых или использовать кредитную карту. Найдите дополнительную подработку, чтобы быстрее рассчитаться с долгами. А самое главное, никогда не берите в кредит вещи, без которых вполне можно обойтись;
• Изучайте истории успеха других людей. Чтобы поверить в себя и понять, что нет ничего невозможного, почитайте истории людей, которые смогли добиться успеха с нуля. Совсем не обязательно, что их путь будет похож на ваш, однако подобные рассказы отлично мотивируют на успех и заряжают позитивом;
• Откажитесь от негативных установок, как на словах, так и мысленно. Никогда не говорите даже про себя фразу: “У меня нет на это денег”. Вместо этого можно сказать: “Я смогу купить это чуть позже, ведь я буду стараться зарабатывать больше”;
• Поставьте себе большую финансовую цель и разбейте ее на промежуточные. Важно, чтобы цель была вполне достижимой, а на ее выполнение отводилось определенное время, в конце которого можно было бы контролировать свои успехи. Не факт, что вы достигнете цели с первого раза. Главное не сдаваться и проявлять упорство;
• Старайтесь с умом вкладывать свободные деньги, не тратя их на ерунду. Вместо того, чтобы купить очередную ненужную вещь, лучше, к примеру, положить деньги в банк под проценты и получать с них прибыль. Хорошими инвестициями будут покупка недвижимости или вклад в собственное дело.

Зная, как уйти от мышления бедняка, важно последовательно выполнять все перечисленные выше пункты и не давать себе поблажек. Только упорная работа над собой поможет избавиться от психологии бедности. Если в одиночку справиться с проблемой тяжело, лучше обратиться за помощью к профессиональному психологу.

Психология бедности — это образ мышления человека, который не позволяет ему жить так, как он мечтает. Определенные привычки и склад ума приводит к тому, что люди вынуждены всю жизнь считать копейки от зарплаты до зарплаты. Однако, зная, как уйти от мышления бедняка, и приложив определенные усилия, можно круто изменить свою жизнь и получить то, о чем вы даже не мечтали.

Автор: Ольга Васильева.
Фото: Instagram, Infastar, YouTube.
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Wealth (and the pursuit of it) has been linked with immoral behavior-and not just in movies like 90005 The Wolf of Wall Street 90006. 90003 90008 90002 Psychologists who study the impact of wealth and inequality on human behavior have found that money can powerfully influence our thoughts and actions in ways that we’re often not aware of, no matter our economic circumstances.Although wealth is certainly subjective, most of the current research measures wealth on scales of income, job status, or socioeconomic circumstances, like educational attainment and intergenerational wealth. 90003 Advertisement X 90011 90002 Meet the Greater Good Toolkit 90003 90002 From the GGSC to your bookshelf: 30 science-backed tools for well-being. 90003 90002 Here are seven things you should know about the psychology of money and wealth. 90003 90018 More money, less empathy? 90019 90002 Several studies have shown that wealth may be at odds with empathy and compassion.Research published in the journal 90005 Psychological Science 90006 found that people of lower economic status were better at reading others ‘facial expressions-an important marker of empathy-than wealthier people. 90003 90002 «A lot of what we see is a baseline orientation for the lower class to be more empathetic and the upper class to be less [so],» study co-author Michael Kraus told 90005 Time 90006. «Lower-class environments are much different from upper-class environments. Lower-class individuals have to respond chronically to a number of vulnerabilities and social threats.You really need to depend on others so they will tell you if a social threat or opportunity is coming, and that makes you more perceptive of emotions. » 90003 90002 While a lack of resources fosters 90005 greater 90006 emotional intelligence, having more resources can cause bad behavior in its own right. UC Berkeley research found that even 90005 fake 90006 money could make people behave with less regard for others. 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According to a 2013 LifeTwist study, only around one-quarter of Americans still believe that wealth determines success.90003 90002 90005 This article originally appeared in the Huffington Post and Fulfillment Daily. 90006 90003 .90000 How to Stop Overthinking Everything: 12 Simple Habits 90001 90002 90002 90004 What is holding people back from the life that they truly want to live? 90005 90004 I’d say that one very common and destructive thing is that they do not know how to stop overthinking. 90005 90004 They overthink every little problem until it becomes bigger and scarier than it actually is. 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I used to overthink things a lot and it held me back in ways that were not fun at all. 90005 90004 But in the past 10 years or so I’ve learned how to make this issue so small that it very rarely pops up anymore.And if it does then I know what to do to overcome it. 90005 90004 In this article I’d like to share 12 habits that have helped me in a big, big way to become a simpler and smarter thinker and to live a happier and less fearful life. 90005 90004 90023 Bonus: 90024 Download a free step-by-step checklist that will show you how to stop overthinking (including 2 bonus steps that are not in this post). It’s easy to save as a PDF or print out for whenever you need it during your day or week. 90025 90005 90027 1.Put things into a wider perspective. 90028 90029 90029 90004 It’s very easy to fall into the trap of overthinking minor things in life. 90005 90004 So when you are thinking and thinking about something ask yourself: 90005 90004 Will this matter in 5 years? Or even in 5 weeks? 90005 90004 I’ve found that widening the perspective by using this simple question can quickly snap me out of overthinking and help me to let go of that situation. 90005 90004 It allows me to finally stop thinking about something and to focus my time and energy on something else that actually does matter to me.90005 90027 2. Set short time-limits for decisions. 90028 90004 If you do not have a time-limit for when you must make a decision and take action then you can just keep turning your thoughts around and around and view them from all angles in your mind for a very long time. 90005 90004 So learn to become better at making decisions and to spring into action by setting deadlines in your daily life. No matter if it’s a small or bigger decision. 90005 90004 Here’s what has worked for me: 90005 90049 90050 90023 For small decisions 90024 like if should go and do the dishes, respond to an email or work out I usually give myself 30 seconds or less to make a decision.90053 90050 90023 For somewhat larger decisions 90024 that would have taken me days or weeks to think through in the past I use a deadline for 30 minutes or for the end of the workday. 90053 90058 90027 3. Stop setting your day up for stress and overthinking. 90028 90004 You can not totally avoid overwhelming or very stressful days. 90005 90004 But you can minimize the number of them in your month and year by getting a good start to your day and by not setting yourself up for unnecessary stress, overthinking and suffering.90005 90004 Three things that help me with that are: 90005 90004 90023 Get a good start. 90024 90005 90004 I’ve mentioned this many times by now. And with good reason. 90005 90004 Because how you start your day tends to often set the tone for your day. 90005 90004 A stressed morning leads to stressed day. Consuming negative information as you ride the bus to your job tends to lead to more pessimistic thoughts during the rest of your day. 90005 90004 While for example reading something uplifting over breakfast, getting some exercise and then getting started with your most important task right now sets a good tone for the day and will help you to stay positive.90005 90004 90023 Single-task and take regular breaks. 90024 90005 90004 This will help you to keep a sharp focus during your day and to get what’s most important done while also allowing you to rest and recharge so you do not start to run on fumes. 90005 90004 And this somewhat relaxed mindset but with the narrow focus will help you to think clearly and decisively and avoid winding up in a stressed and overthinking headspace. 90005 90004 90023 Minimize your daily input. 90024 90005 90004 Too much information, too many times of just taking a few minutes to check your inbox, Facebook or Twitter account or how your blog or website is doing leads to more input and clutter in your mind as your day progresses.90005 90004 And so it becomes harder to think in a simple and clear way and easier to lapse back into that familiar overthinking habit. 90005 90027 4. Become a person of action. 90028 90097 90097 90004 When you know how to get started with taking action consistently each day then you’ll procrastinate less by overthinking. 90005 90004 Setting deadlines and a good tone for the day are two things that have helped me to become much more of person of action. 90005 90004 Taking small steps forward and only focusing on getting one small step done at a time is another habit that have worked really well.90005 90004 It works so well because you do not feel overwhelmed and so you do not want flee into procrastination or lazy inaction. 90005 90004 And even though you may be afraid, taking just a step is such a small thing that you do not get paralyzed in fear. 90005 90027 5. Realize that you can not control everything. 90028 90004 Trying to think things through 50 times can be a way to try to control everything. To cover every eventuality so you do not risk making a mistake, fail or looking like a fool.90005 90004 But those things are a part of living a life where you truly stretch your comfort zone. Everyone who you may admire and have lived a life that inspires you has failed. They have made mistakes. 90005 90004 But in most cases they’ve also seen these things as valuable feedback to learn from. 90005 90004 Those things that may look negative have taught them a lot and have been invaluable to help them to grow. 90005 90004 So stop trying to control everything. Trying to do so simply does not work because no one can see all possible scenarios in advance.90005 90004 This is of course easier said than done. So do it in small steps if you like. 90005 90027 6. Say stop in a situation where you know you can not think straight. 90028 90125 90125 90004 Sometimes when I’m hungry or when I’m lying in bed and are about to go to sleep negative thoughts start buzzing around in my mind. 90005 90004 In the past they could do quite a bit of damage. Nowadays I’ve become good at catching them quickly and to say to myself: 90005 90004 No, no, we are not going to think about this now.90005 90004 I know that when I’m hungry or sleepy then my mind sometimes tend to be vulnerable to not thinking clearly and to negativity. 90005 90004 So I follow up my «no, no …» phrase and I say to myself that I will think this situation or issue through when I know that my mind will work much better. 90005 90004 For example, after I’ve eaten something or in the morning after I have gotten my hours of sleep. 90005 90004 It took a bit of practice to get this to work but I’ve gotten pretty good at postponing thinking in this way.And I know from experience that when I revisit a situation with some level-headed thinking then in 80% of the cases the issue is very small to nonexistent. 90005 90004 And if there is a real issue then my mind is prepared to deal with it in much better and more constructive way. 90005 90027 7. Do not get lost in vague fears. 90028 90004 Another trap I’ve fallen into many times that have spurred on overthinking is that I’ve gotten lost in vague fears about a situation in my life. 90005 90004 And so my mind running wild has created disaster scenarios about what could happen if I do something.90005 90004 So I’ve learned to ask myself: honestly, what is the worst that could happen? 90005 90004 And when I’ve figured out what the worst that could happen actually is then I can also spend a little time to think about what I can do if that often pretty unlikely thing happens. 90005 90004 I’ve found that the worst that could realistically happen is usually something that is not as scary as what my mind running wild with vague fear could produce. 90005 90004 Finding clarity in this way usually only takes a few minutes and bit of energy and it can save you a lot of time and suffering.90005 90027 8. Work out. 90028 90004 This might sound a bit odd. 90005 90004 But working out can really help with letting go of inner tensions and worries. 90005 90004 It most often makes me feel more decisive and when I was more of an overthinker then it was often my go-to method of changing the headspace I was in to a more constructive one. 90005 90027 9. Get plenty of good quality sleep. 90028 90167 90167 90004 I think this is one of the most commonly neglected factors when it comes to keeping a positive mindset and not get lost in negative thought habits.90005 90004 Because when you have not slept enough then you become more vulnerable. 90005 90004 Vulnerable to worrying and pessimism. To not thinking as clearly as you usually do. And to getting lost in thoughts going around and around in your mind as you overthink. 90005 90004 So let me share a couple of my favorite tips that help me to sleep better: 90005 90004 90023 Keep it cool. 90024 90005 90004 It can feel nice at first to get into a warm bedroom. But I’ve found that I sleep better and more calmly with fewer scary or negative dreams if I keep the bedroom cool.90005 90004 90023 Keep the earplugs nearby. 90024 90005 90004 If you, like me, are easily awoken by noises then a pair simple earplugs can be a life-saver. 90005 90004 These inexpensive items have helped me to get a good night’s sleep and sleep through snorers, noisy cats and other disturbances more times than I can remember. 90005 90004 90023 Do not try to force yourself to go to sleep. 90024 90005 90004 If you do not feel sleepy then do not get into bed and try to force yourself to go to sleep.90005 90004 That, at least in my experience, only leads to tossing and turning in my bed for an hour or more. 90005 90004 A better solution in these situations is to wind down for an extra 20-30 minutes on the couch with, for example, some reading. This helps me to go to sleep faster and, in the end, get more sleep. 90005 90027 10. Spend more of your time in the present moment. 90028 90004 By being in the present moment in your everyday life rather than in the past or a possible future in your mind you can replace more and more of the time you usually spend on overthinking things with just being here right now instead.90005 90004 Three ways that I often use to reconnect with the present moment are: 90005 90004 90023 Slow down. 90024 90005 90004 Slow down how you do whatever you are doing right now. Move slower, talk slower or ride your bicycle more slowly for example. 90005 90004 By doing so you become more aware of how you use your body and what is happening all around you right now. 90005 90004 90023 Tell yourself: Now I am … 90024 90005 90004 I often tell myself this: Now I am X. And X could be brushing my teeth.Taking a walk in the woods. Or doing the dishes. 90005 90004 This simple reminder helps my mind to stop wandering and brings my focus back to what is happening in this moment. 90005 90004 90023 Disrupt and reconnect. 90024 90005 90004 If you feel you are getting lost in overthinking then disrupt that thought by — in your mind — shouting this to yourself: STOP! 90005 90004 Then reconnect with the present moment by taking just 1-2 minutes to focus fully on what is going on around you. Take it all in with all your senses.Feel it, hear it, smell it, see it and sense it on your skin. 90005 90027 11. Spend more of your time with people who do not overthink things. 90028 90004 Your social environment plays a big part. 90005 90004 And not just the people and groups close to you in real life. But also what you read, listen to and watch. The blogs, books, forums, movies, podcasts and music in your life. 90005 90004 So think about if there are any sources in your life — close by or further away — that encourages and tends create more overthinking in your mind.And think about what people or sources that has the opposite effect on you. 90005 90004 Find ways to spend more of your time and attention with the people and input that have a positive effect on your thinking and less on the influences that tends to strengthen your overthinking habit. 90005 90027 12. Be aware of the issue (and remind yourself throughout your day) 90028 90243 90243 90004 Being aware of your challenge is important to break the habit of overthinking. 90005 90004 But if you’re thinking that you’ll just remember to stop overthinking during your normal day then you’re likely just fooling yourself.90005 90004 At least if you’re anything like me. 90005 90004 Because I needed help. It was not hard to get it though. I just created a few reminders. 90005 90004 My main one was a note on the whiteboard I had on one of my walls at the time. It said «Keep things extremely simple». 90005 90004 Seeing this many times during my day helped me to snap out of overthinking faster and to over time greatly minimize this negative habit. 90005 90004 Two other kinds of reminders that you can use are: 90005 90004 90023 A small written note.90024 90005 90004 Simply use a post-it note or something similar and write down my whiteboard phrase, a question like «Am I overcomplicating this?» or some other reminder that appeals to you. 90005 90004 Put that note where you can not avoid seeing it like for example on your bedside table, your bathroom mirror or beside your computer screen. 90005 90004 90023 A reminder on your smart phone. 90024 90005 90004 Write down one of the phrases above or one of you own choosing in a reminder app on your smart phone.90005 90004 I for example use my Android phone and the free app called Google Keep to do this. 90005 90275 90023 Here’s the next step … 90024 90278 90004 Now, you may think to yourself: 90005 90004 «This is really helpful information. But what’s the easiest way to put this into practice and actually make a real change with my overthinking? «. 90005 90004 Well, I’ve got something special for you … 90005 90004 90286 90286 90023 A free step-by-step checklist that includes all the steps in this article … plus 2 additional bonus steps.Save it or print it out so you have it for the next time when you get stuck in overthinking. 90024 90025 Download it now by entering your email below. 90025 90005 90004 90005.90000 How poverty changes your mind-set 90001 90002 The proportion of the global population living on less than $ 1.90 per person per day has fallen-from 18 percent in 2008 to 11 percent in 2013, according to the World Bank. In the United States, however, the poverty rate has been more stubborn-41 million people lived below the country’s poverty line in 2016, about 13 percent of the population, nearly the same rate as in 2007. Recent policy initiatives have not meaningfully reduced that rate. House Speaker Paul Ryan (Republican of Wisconsin) indicated this past December that the government would make fighting poverty, but also welfare, which many Republicans believe is a failed policy, a priority in 2018.90003 90002 US lawmakers have expressed frustration when investments such as welfare programs do not pull people out of poverty. «I believe in helping those who can not help themselves but would if they could,» said Senator Orrin Hatch (Republican of Utah) this past December, when explaining his views on government spending. «I have a rough time wanting to spend billions and billions and trillions of dollars to help people who will not help themselves, will not lift a finger, and expect the federal government to do everything.»90003 90002 Hatch’s statement reflects a common view that removing government support would force many poor people to improve their conditions themselves. Without welfare and government assistance, would able-bodied people find a job, get an education, stop buying lottery tickets, and focus on paying bills? 90003 90002 Not quite, indicate researchers, whose work is telling a different story of poverty. Contrary to the refrain that bad decisions lead to poverty, data indicate that it is the cognitive toll of being poor that leads to bad decisions.And actually, decisions that may 90009 seem 90010 counterproductive could be entirely rational, even shrewd. The findings suggest that to successfully reduce poverty, it would help to take this psychology into account. 90003 90012 What drives ‘bad’ decisions 90013 90002 In a 2013 study published in 90009 Science 90010, researchers from the University of Warwick, Harvard, Princeton, and the University of British Columbia find that for poor individuals, working through a difficult financial problem produces a cognitive strain that’s equivalent to a 13- point deficit in IQ or a full night’s sleep lost.Similar cognitive deficits were observed in people who were under real-life financial stress. Theirs is one of multiple studies suggesting that poverty can harm cognition. 90003 90002 But it was the fact that cognition seems to change with changing financial conditions that Chicago Booth’s Anuj K. Shah, along with Harvard’s Sendhil Mullainathan and Princeton’s Eldar Shafir, two authors of the 90009 Science 90010 paper, were interested in getting to the root of . They suspected that poverty might essentially create a new mind-set-one that shifts what people pay attention to and therefore how they make decisions.90003 90002 «Some say you really have to understand the broad social structure of being poor, and what people do and do not have access to,» says Shah. «Others say that poor individuals have different values ​​or preferences. We stepped back and asked: ‘Is there something else going on?’ «90003 90002 90025 What’s on your mind? 90026 90003 90002 For an illustration of how poverty can affect one’s thought process, try the test below. We’ll give you 20 seconds to review a list of words, then ask you to write down as many as you can recall.For more, see «Money on the brain,» below. 90003 90002 Now write down as many of the words as you can remember. There’s no time limit. When you’re ready, click the Submit button to see how you did. 90003 90002 You remembered 1 out of 12 words correctly. Just as significant, you left out the magic word: money. Although ‘money’ was not on the list, in an experiment, poorer participants were more likely to remember seeing it, as the words on the list are all associated with financial concerns.90003 90002 90025 Percentage in the original experiment who included the word ‘money’ 90026 90003 90002 Start 90003 90002 20 90003 90002 Rent 90043 Loan 90043 Phone 90043 Dollar 90043 Coin 90043 Gas 90043 Bills 90043 Expense 90043 Grocery 90043 Utilities 90043 Cash 90043 Pay 90003 90002 Submit 90003 90002 To test the idea, the researchers designed experiments that stripped away money and put other resources in demand. In one such study, the researchers had participants play variants of the popular games 90009 Wheel of Fortune 90010, 90009 Angry Birds 90010, and 90009 Family Feud 90010, looking for how scarcity affected players ‘attention.»Rich» people in these constructs had more chances to earn points, so more time to play the game. «Poor» people had fewer chances. 90003 90002 In the 90009 Wheel of Fortune 90010 -style game, the researchers measured how cognitively fatigued the players became. Logic would predict that rich players would be more fatigued, since they were allowed more turns to make more guesses. Instead, the researchers observed that poor players, having received fewer tries to guess at the answers, were more fatigued, having put more effort into each guess.90003 90002 In an 90009 Angry Birds 90010 -style game in which people tried to shoot targets, rich players were given more chances to train a virtual slingshot on a target. Poor players, given fewer attempts, spent longer lining up their shots, and many scored more points per shot than rich players. For all the extra shots rich players had, they did not do as well, proportionally. «It seems that to understand the psychology of scarcity, we must also appreciate the psychology of abundance. If scarcity can engage us too much, abundance might engage us too little, «the researchers write.90003 90002 In some ways, scarcity appears to make people better problem solvers. In these game versions of the world, says Shah, the players randomly assigned to be poor focused on what was concrete and in front of them. And that’s what happens in real life, too, write Shah, Mullainathan, and Shafir. When money is tight, «the very lack of available resources makes each expense more insistent and more pressing. A trip to the grocery store looms larger, and this month’s rent constantly seizes our attention.Because these problems feel bigger and capture our attention, we engage more deeply in solving them. » 90003 90002 Unfortunately, one way to solve the problem in the short run is to borrow, which can backfire. In the experiments, when poor participants were allowed to borrow resources, that borrowing undid some of the advantages of scarcity. When the researchers looked at performance as a function of borrowing, they find that poor players often borrowed more than they should have, and performed better when they were not permitted to borrow.Poverty led to wise decisions, but it also led to counterproductive ones. 90003 90012 Trade-offs become real 90013 90002 Shah, Mullainathan, and Shafir looked further into how poverty affects decision-making, and find that poor people may evaluate trade-offs better than their wealthier counterparts. Just as the 90009 Angry Birds 90010 players spent more time lining up a shot, people with actual financial concerns might also make better, more focused decisions, closer to what economists consider ideal.90003 90002 The researchers asked real people of various socioeconomic strata if they were willing to travel an extra 30 minutes to save $ 50 on a $ 300 tablet. Some said they were. But when asked if they’d drive that far to save the same amount on a $ 1,000 tablet, some of the respondents changed their minds. Their answer depended on their income. 90003 90002 Many people were, irrationally, more likely to say yes when buying a $ 300 tablet rather than a $ 1,000 one. But that response was more common among wealthier people.For poorer individuals, the cost of the tablet often did not matter-regardless of the price, they were just as likely to travel for the discount. 90003 90002 That’s the correct financial decision, according to traditional economics-to drive the extra distance no matter the original cost. Saving $ 50 is the same regardless of the amount of the item in question. But wealthier participants saw the savings in relative terms, noticing the percentage savings. By contrast, poorer participants thought in absolute terms.To them, $ 50 saved was $ 50 to spend on groceries or the electric bill. 90003 90002 The same pattern showed up in experiments that involved smaller and larger amounts of money or other rewards. Even calories fit the pattern: people who were dieting, and therefore in a scarcity mind-set, recognized that an order of McDonald’s fries was just as fattening whether thought of in terms of daily or weekly calorie intakes. But people who were not dieting were more swayed by context. Once again, scarcity prompted the more accurate decision.90003 90012 Put it into practice 90013 90002 If people in poverty are making smart decisions considering the situation, how could that be recognized and better encouraged? There may be ways to help people when they’re facing potentially expensive borrowing decisions. For example, Chicago Booth’s Marianne Bertrand and University of California at Berkeley’s Adair Morse studied high-interest payday loans and find that people made better decisions when the interest rate was expressed in terms of dollar amounts, namely the cost they’d pay over three months .»We’d explain this by saying that a dollar amount is a lot more concrete,» says Shah. «You can think about exactly what you’d have to give up to pay off the loan.» 90003 90002 «Program designers and policy makers often suffer from a failure to accurately take the perspective of the people they are trying to help,» says Chicago Booth’s Christopher J. Bryan. «They design programs that would be appealing to people if they had the luxury of being able to devote careful thought and attention to considering them.But poverty imposes a heavy attentional ‘tax’ that prevents people from devoting that kind of thought to new opportunities, so program uptake is low. » 90003 90002 Bryan was the lead author of a policy paper that recommended new strategies to policy makers and other relevant parties based on recent findings. Among other things, he and his coresearchers advise that an effort be made to reduce the up-front cost of future-oriented behaviors. For example, they point out that in a study by researchers at the World Bank, Harvard, and Yale, giving kids free school uniforms boosted school enrollment in Kenya by more than 6 percentage points.Similarly, researchers at Stanford, Harvard, and the University of Toronto, in conjunction with H & R Block, find that offering US students assistance with their applications for federally funded college student aid has been shown to increase enrollment in college by 24 percent. 90003 90002 The researchers urge service providers to weigh price and inconvenience carefully, particularly when offering health-related services, which many people may forgo if the cost or the distance is too great.A program in Uganda brought health products such as water-purification tablets and antimalarial drugs to people door-to-door, which removed the issue of making people travel to get these products. That simple step to counter the inconvenience of seeking out products and services had an effect. «It can sometimes be better to charge a small fee and make a service very convenient than to charge nothing for a very inconvenient service,» write the researchers. In this case, the cost of delivery was included in the price of the products.90003 90002 The researchers also recommend taking into account the timing of incentives-and they advise to avoid offering them when money is tight and people are consumed with the pressing need to budget what little they have to meet basic needs. In India, where sugarcane farmers are paid annually after the harvest, farmers ‘attention scores were the equivalent of 10 IQ points higher than just before the harvest, when farmers were relatively poor, according to data from the 2013 90009 Science 90010 study mentioned earlier.90003 90002 Offering subsidies or other incentives when people are more receptive to and have the spare capacity to consider them, such as after a harvest or a payday, may make a difference over the long run. One effort, in Tanzania, asked people to sign up for health insurance at cashpoint locations right after payday, and the timing led to a 20 percentage point increase in health-insurance use. 90003 90002 Introducing cognitive aids can help address the limited capacity for attention that may constrain people in poverty.In one study, it helped to show farmers research regarding the most productive ways to plant their crops. When poor, stressed, and in a scarcity mind-set, farmers had a harder time taking in the information. «This result has nothing to do with the intelligence of the farmers,» writes Bryan’s team. «A fact is only obvious if the observer has the spare attentional capacity to notice it.» 90003 90002 They also suggest that reminders, in the form of text messages or stickers, can be effective. Such gentle pushes-for instance, to take medication on schedule-can help people remember to do what they may otherwise forget, since other duties and obligations may compete for attention.90003 90002 For those who design and implement antipoverty initiatives, it’s important to recognize that while scarcity can help people focus on costs and benefits, it can also cause stress that shifts attention and steals cognitive bandwidth. A big step forward would be to understand these psychological limits that poverty imposes and make some policy tweaks, write the researchers, to «substantially improve the impact they have on the poor.» 90003 .90000 Britain’s working class need a New Deal that overhauls housing, education and benefits to see them through the post-Covid crisis — RT Op-ed 90001 90002 Boris Johnson’s ‘Build Build Build’ plan will not help the UK’s working class survive the impending financial Armageddon. A revolutionary New Deal is required to help right the wrongs of 40 years of failed policies. 90003 90002 This week, the Bank of England published the first real data on how the Covid-19 lockdown has impacted working-class people’s lives.And it came as no surprise to many of us who study inequality that those with the most wealth have fared well under lockdown, while those with the least have become poorer. 90003 90002 Throughout July, as businesses evaluate their futures, hundreds of thousands of furloughed workers are about to become welfare-benefit claimants. 90003 90002 I remember the last time this happened, during the 1980s, when millions of working-class jobs were lost due to the de-industrialisation of Britain’s economy, leaving millions of working-class families on the scrapheap for two generations.At the time, little thought was given and no resources were provided to reskilling or retraining those whose livelihoods had been destroyed. 90003 90002 Men like my dad never worked again, after they were made redundant from their jobs, and young people had to leave their communities in their thousands searching for work. 90003 Also on rt.com ‘I used to push for working class kids to go to university, but no longer: they are toxic institutions of prejudice’ 90002 The consequences of the short-sighted politics and policies of the Thatcher era have been profound in those communities that suffered, and have shaped the narrative of the working class over the past 40 years, as people who are slow to change and are left behind .90003 90002 Even former chancellors are warning of a return to a 1980s level of unemployment and recession — although none of them accepts responsibility for the structures they defended that caused that unemployment. Nor do they take responsibility for their inability to think honestly or even creatively about the failure of capitalism. 90003 90002 I also have a warning for the government: do not push the 1980s solution of getting ‘on your bike’ and looking for non- existent work, as Norman Tebbit cruelly suggested to the British working class when there were three million unemployed.90003 90002 Similarly, do not allow the market to recalibrate and decide who eats and who does not, as both Norman Lamont and Nigel Lawson suggested, when British manufacturing went to the wall. 90003 Also on rt.com If the UK government brings in a new round of austerity to pay for Covid-19, it’ll spark civil unrest that will see cities burn 90002 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is suggesting a national programme of ‘Build Build Build’, hoping that big infrastructure projects will provide what the market can not: a decent life lived with dignity.In truth, this is another mere sticking plaster. 90003 90002 Over the past 40 years, working-class people have watched their jobs, their communities and their way of life be destroyed by unemployment. They have seen the fetishisation of cities as playgrounds for the rich, and the pushing of the idea that your own chance of ‘success’ is measured through a £ 50,000 debt paid for a university degree. 90003 90002 The consequence of this has been that the social, political and cultural life of the working class has also diminished.Working-class people are now barely represented outside of low-paid, low-skilled work centred in the limited space of the service sector, healthcare, retail and distribution centres. 90003 90002 Even the government’s own appointed Social Mobility Commission acknowledges that class inequality and class prejudice is entrenched in our society. But it has no real solutions, and simply trots out the usual unimaginative tropes of raising aspiration for young working-class people. 90003 Also on rt.com I do not want to return to normal when this is all over … Normal is s ** t 90002 So I’ll help it out. Working-class people need their own ‘New Deal’, which not only recognises the even greater inequalities caused by Covid-19 and the economic disaster that is on its way, but acknowledges the economic, social, political and cultural attack they have sustained for over 40 years. 90003 90002 The New Deal for working-class people would recognise that access to good, safe and affordable housing is needed immediately.90003 90002 It would recognise that the welfare-benefits system that’s supposed to catch those who need support is cruel, humiliating and keeps people in poverty, rather than lifting them out. 90003 90002 And it would recognise that our education system, from primary school to university, has become a freeway for the middle class to use to maintain their own positions. This, of course, prevents the sort of real social mobility that means working-class people can be lawyers, academics or writers, but it also allows the middle class’s untalented children to fail.90003 90002 Only when these points are addressed can Britain’s working class look forward with any sense of optimism. 90003 90002 90039 90040 Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! 90041 90042 90003 90002 The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT. 90003.