The Parable Of The Poor

Poverty is a very complicated matter. It is not just about lacking material possessions. Many at times people wonder why the rich cannot help the poor. I have heard the conversations in various fora but hardly is any solution proffered. Rather it is most times an issue of blaming the rich and heaping guilt on them. In my opinion, you can blame the rich for all you want but the status quo will not change until some internal and external alignments are made.

In my dealings with at-risk teenagers and people that live under the poverty line, I have realised that the biggest issue is an intangible fact. It is not about material prosperity but rather about mind-sets. The biggest differentiator I have come to realise, is one’s perspective towards life.

Once I discussed with someone who was so passionate about this matter. He postulated that the rich should share their wealth so that there should be equality in society. I told him that it will not happen and it will also not work. I asked him if he has worked with the poor before. He responded in the affirmative. I asked in what capacity. He told me about random almsgiving. I pushed home my point about the sustainability of his model. I further went on to ask “Have you worked to liberate one person from poverty?” He was honest to say “no” as he did not have the time. There and then we agreed on one important point — it takes time.

What does time have to do with social mobility? Well, you need to change the person’s mentality and ideology about life, before s/he can move up on high. Let’s discuss some points that have kept people in the bracket of the poor. (I am looking more from what people can do for themselves. This is not about government policies or external factor).

Mentality: This is a big issue. The Poor (TP) believes that if you can “hammer” just once, you will be made for life. One opportunity, one breakthrough is all that is required for you to move up the social ladder and remain there permanently. With this mentality, people in this life bracket will do all that is required (cheat, lie, juxtapose facts etc) to ensure they get that one big break. Any voice of reason as they venture is viewed as an opposition.

Some entrepreneurs have this issue also. They believe that if they can have just one novel idea, then they will be fine. They forget that you need a team, execution strategies, licences (in some cases) and other unseen variables, in order to get things moving. They romance the notion of the “one big idea”. Unfortunately, the one big idea rarely comes and hence they abort the mission.

Social mobility is a journey and to leave one class to the other requires time to build, change, re-strategize and execute. The rich work in order to sustain what they have. They know better, the breakthrough is the open door for more work in order to maintain what you already have. The words I used here are maintain and suatain; not even movement to the next bracket.

Work Ethic: A number of people in the TP category do not have great work ethics. It is for no fault of theirs. They don’t know better. Some that do have a great work ethic prefer the “suffer head” approach to life and often brag about it. They are stuck in their way and are not willing to change even in the face of superior information or methodology. Keeping to time, taking instructions, executing as instructed are things that they find hard to do. As Malcolm Gladwell, in his seminal work “The Outliers” stated that these people do not have concerted cultivation — which is about being trained as per fostering your talents by incorporating organized activities in your daily life.

The ability to stay on one task unto mastery is often deemed as difficult — it seems like a waste of time. Acting on instructions as given is also hard because what they see as a short cut might be an infraction of the law that they have not been exposed to all their lives. As such, it is difficult for them to function. Giving up is an easy option that is often taken in order to go back to the life that they are comfortable with.

Attitude: TP most times have the attitude that someone or some groups are against them. As such they are limited as per strategies of how to engage people and the system. The result is that they inadvertently fight everyone and everything on their path. Anyone that they view that is higher than them on the social ladder is viewed as an oppressor. I remember once we had a lady who lived with us. Her trajectory was on the upward path but she had some character defects — which I thought could be worked on. We sat down as a family and mapped out her five-year plan. She had a big issue with following instructions and the character issues were not getting better. Unfortunately, someone else always had to be blamed for whatsoever happened. I had to involve her mum to see if we could work together and pull strings from different sides. That seems to have been the game-changer (in a way) because her mum accused us of not giving “the poor" a chance. She reminded me that Jesus came from a poor home. I did not know what to make of that than to hand over her daughter to her. I am sure you can script, without any prophetic anointing, how the story continued five years down the road.

Values: Most people in the TP circle believe that any way is a way as long as it leads you to where you ought to be. It is hard for them to value time since it is always in excess in their own world. They don’t get it when you are pressed for time. Integrity is often seen as a hindrance that militates the journey to the promised land. Patience and compassion are for weaklings; they love to be seen as tough. Processes are a disturbance. Order is for slow people. Being “sharp” is the name of the game. Ethics is for fools. Without principles, they fire in many directions and come home with few or no spoils.

Character: Being a fast guy has taken more from people that help them. As someone once said, when you are trying to be smart to take advantage of people, you know what you gained but you do not know what you have lost. It takes years to build and sustain character, which acts as the conveyor belt to success. With the advent of internet scams and cheap call rates, people have made so much by lying and distorting facts. Those who have made it brandish their wealth and mock the wo/man of character. It takes character and mental fortitude to withstand such assault.

Discipline: As long as discipline is not a force in your life, you will not achieve much. It takes tons of effort and grit to get anything worthy done.

Vision: People in the TP circle rarely think about life in terms of 2,5, 10 years goals. It is very strange for them to speak in those terms. Philosophies that they permit such as “what’s gonna be, gonna be” injure them almost fatally. Since there is no vision, then anything is acceptable. They can have 9 kids with no plan to educate them. Feeding 9 children takes its toll on the family and the kids practically raise themselves. Before you know it teenage pregnancy sets in. The boys, without any tradable skills, become pieces of baggage to society and the cycle of poverty perpetuates.

Responsibility: Folks in TP circles most times do not show a sense of responsibility and ownership, even at times in decisions that they take. They can even blame it on the devil. They usually have advice for others but rarely do advise themselves. They blame situations, circumstances, and others for their present state. Taking responsibility and ownership of their decision with a view to steer the affairs of their lives in the right direction is something that is rarely done and seen in these circles.

Friendships: TP folks band with TP folks. They find company in regaling their tales amongst themselves — inbreeding. Aiming to lift off is often frowned at either subtly or tacitly. Since they recycle the same set of information amongst themselves, it is hard for anyone to make a move. I remember having to hang around a guy that I felt was going to where I hoped to be in the future. This was frowned upon by people I knew. They felt I was sucking up to the guy. For me, that was their opinion. I stuck to my guns and the outcome was fantastic. That guy opened my mind, bought me the first motivational book I ever had, made introductions for me, mentored me and I was all the better for being his friend. I benefitted more from that relationship.

Consumerism: The modus operandi of living from hand-to-mouth has never lifted anyone above the poverty line. Thinking about how to be productive and move from the status quo to the next level is something that is rare. The rat race reigns supreme and as such, it is hard to think.

Finally most time the poor are far from the information that will move them from where they are to where they ought to be. This is because even when this information is presented to them, they find it hard to process it and come out with a favourable outcome.

So when next you think about the poor, think about the few points I have made. Thank you.

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