Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink. Today, we
are going to learn about 10 things poor people do that the rich don’t.
Now, let’s begin 1. Distracting Media
Rich and poor people spend their free time in very different ways. Less
fortunate individuals are more likely to spend hours watching TV, playing video games,
and scrolling through social media — all of which sap your motivation and decrease your
productivity. For many poor people, their free time is a chance to turn off their brains.
But wealthier people don’t view their free time in the same way. Instead of watching TV or playing
video games, wealthier people are more likely to practice mentally restorative activities, like
reading and journaling. They don’t want to turn off their brains but inspire and energize their
brains using educational and motivational habits. So, why do rich and poor people spend their free
time so differently? Access to educational and motivational resources is often limited for
lower income individuals. For example, many people below the poverty line cannot afford higher
education, which decreases the odds of engaging with intellectual activities in their daily lives.
This is only one of many factors that affect how people of different statuses use their free time.
In other words, it’s not as simple as “poor people are lazy and rich people aren’t.” In fact, that’s
rarely ever the case. More often, wealthier people have access to educational and cultural resources
that lead to healthier lifestyle choices. Less fortunate people, on the other hand, look
for activities to fill their time and distract them from personal hardships, because, in many
cases, they are never taught anything different. 2. Financial Comfort
Financial risk-taking is one major reason why many poor people stay
poor, and many rich people get richer. Life is full of opportunities to find success, make
money, and climb the social ladder, but each of those opportunities requires some degree of risk.
Rich people are more likely to take those risks and reap the rewards, while poor people are
more likely to stay in their comfort zones. At some level, it’s a matter of grit and
self-determination. Rich people are more willing to put their money on the line and take leaps into
the unknown, but that’s only part of the picture. Rich people are more likely to take big risks,
but they also have a safety net to fall back on. It’s much easier to take a financial risk when you
know that one failure will not destroy your life. For example, if a rich person loses
thousands of dollars on a bad investment, they may regret their losses, but their
lifestyle will not be affected in any major way. If a poor person takes the same risk, they may
not be able to pay their rent or buy groceries, which impacts their ability
to meet basic survival needs. 3. Narrow Knowledge
Rich and poor people commonly gather information from different places. Lower income individuals
rely primarily on social media and television to learn about the world and understand new subjects.
Unfortunately, these media sources deliver narrow, often biased streams of information, which does
not give people a full understanding of what is happening or why. Because they gather most of
their information from controlled media, many poor people maintain underdeveloped or narrow-minded
views of current events and popular subjects. Wealthier people, on the other hand,
are more likely to gather information outside of public media. They may access journals,
books, and other lengthier sources of information, which effectively broaden their horizons and
increase their understanding of the subject. It takes more time to read a book than it
does to scroll through a dozen headlines but gathering knowledge the old-fashioned way yields
a fuller understanding of almost any subject. 4. Careless Spending
In comparison to the wealthiest individuals, poor people are less likely to
keep track of their money. They may have a loose idea of what they make and what they spend,
but they may not actively control their finances. As a result, many poor people waste money on
things that negatively impact their wellness. Rich people, on the other hand, understand
where every dollar of their money is going and why. They use apps and asset
managers to control their investments. They move their money into the right places,
and they keep track of trends in the market. Often, they are able to multiply their
finances by carefully monitoring every penny. Paying bills is a common example. Wealthy
people always stay on top of their expenses, and they never miss a payment date. So, it’s
very rare for them to rack up interest or fall into debt. Less fortunate people, on the other
hand, are more likely to fall behind on their credit card bills or mismanage their spending.
It’s important to consider the context of these common financial mistakes. Many less fortunate
people have very little access to financial information at home, at work, or at school. Early
on, wealthier people are given strategies to manipulate financial systems, but poor people may
not have learned how these systems work. To make matters worse, many financial systems are designed
to take advantage of less knowledgeable people. 5. Missing Windows
There’s a common misconception that poor people live empty lives with too much
time on their hands. But that simply isn’t true. Most poor people are very busy, leaving few
opportunities for hobbies, passions, and healthy habits. Because of their busy schedules,
many poor people feel like they have no time to spend on personal goals or self-improvement.
Wealthy people may work just as many hours, but they use structured routines to find small
windows of productivity throughout the day. Even if you only find an hour of free time every
day, this critical window, when used effectively, can yield real, long-term change. But unless you
build a structure into your daily routine, you may never notice how much spare time you really have.
6. Hourly Value Rich and poor people quantify their productivity
in different ways. A poor person may judge the productivity of their work by the number of hours
they invested. Most low-income jobs are paid by the hour, so many poor people use the hours they
worked to assess the quality of their workday. Rich people know that time and productivity
are not directly correlated. That’s why wealthy people, who often have salaried positions, view
their productivity in terms of goals or tasks that they have accomplished. Instead of saying, “I
worked 8 hours today,” they might say, “I finished two projects,” or, “I met all my daily goals.”
This small change in mindset allows wealthier people to keep better track of the progress
they’re making. Not only does it give them a clearer image of what they’re doing, but it
helps them figure out what they need to do next. 7. Time Mismanagement
It’s common for people of lower economic statuses to reflect negatively on their time.
They look back at their days or weeks and think, “why have I been so unproductive lately?” People
of all socioeconomic classes know that their time is valuable, but wealthier people are
more likely to use their time effectively. Time management skills are often related
to factors like job stability and financial independence. Many lower income people struggle
to manage their time, because their time is rarely ever their own. This lack of control encourages
less fortunate people to waste their personal time and later regret their unproductive choices.
Wealthier people, on the other hand, spend less time regretting the hours they
wasted and more time planning for the future. Thanks to their stable lifestyles, they
typically have more freedom to experiment with time management strategies and find tools
that increase their productivity down the road. 8. Good Intentions
Many less fortunate people conceptualize success as a product of two
things: willpower and good intentions. With the right mindset and enough discipline,
you can achieve whatever you want, right? In theory, this is true, but in practice,
willpower is not enough. Neither are your good intentions. After a stressful and tiring
day at work, for example, no one can muster the energy or motivation to go the extra mile.
For this reason, many poor people never improve their situations or meet their goals.
Wealthier people don’t rely on willpower to find success. Just like anyone else, their
motivation fades, yet they make progress every day by falling back on strict habits and
routines. They build systems into their life that help them consistently achieve small goals. Once
productivity becomes a daily habit, you can make progress with or without the proper motivation.
9. Source of Income At lower economic statuses, people are
less concerned with finding a meaningful, passion-driven career. Instead, most
less fortunate people do whatever job provides a comfortable income, and that
income becomes their primary concern. At higher economic statuses, passion factors
into the equation. Wealthier people pursue what motivates and inspires them, and they typically
have more freedom to pursue those passions without experiencing significant economic distress. When
they find out what they are passionate about, rich people are also more likely to see their jobs as
a meaningful career instead of a source of income. 10. Poor Company
Many less fortunate individuals surround themselves with people who share their
habits and attitudes. In general, we befriend people from a similar economic background, and
naturally those friendships alter our lifestyles, opinions, and habits.
As a wealthy person, you may see eye to eye with other wealthy
people, which gives you access to knowledge, connections, and opportunities that someone at
the lower end of the spectrum would not have. A poor person, on the other hand, may spend most
of their time with people who are not striving for success. This takes a toll, even subconsciously,
on your attitude toward success and achievement. While high status connections
may yield unique opportunities, low status connections may be negative or
discouraging. However, there are cultural barriers in place that make it difficult for poor people
to connect with higher-achieving individuals. No matter how much money you make,
it’s important to be particular about the company you keep. Unfortunately,
some people… don’t have many options. Thank you for watching TopThink. If you enjoyed
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