An Australian CEO encountered criticism on Reddit after stating that a “poverty mindset” is responsible for the worsening financial situation of the poor. Joseph Darby, the CEO of Become Wealth, a wealth management company, claimed that when people express concern about the rich becoming richer while the poor grow poorer, it is ultimately a result of their own actions.
“The rich are getting richer. At the same time, the poor are getting poorer. (But why?) It all comes down to mindset,” he mentioned in a LinkedIn post.
He further described the behaviors that contribute to the ongoing struggles of the poor: “They blame their circumstances, focus on immediate gains, purchase liabilities, look for the cheapest options, think ‘I can’t afford that,’ concentrate on problems, and hold onto a poverty mindset,” the CEO stated.
In contrast, he highlighted that the wealthy often embrace an “abundance mindset,” which allows them to create opportunities and plan for the long term. “The rich invest in assets, seek the best value, ask, ‘How can I afford that?’ and look for solutions,” he noted.
“I’m not claiming that external factors don’t influence wealth disparities. However, the truth is that your financial future is not fixed,” he remarked, highlighting that self-made individuals like Elon Musk and Oprah faced considerable challenges.
“But they didn’t let those difficulties stop them. You too can transform your situation. It starts with taking responsibility for your life and choosing not to embrace a victim mindset. Rather than saying ‘I can’t,’ shift your focus to asking, ‘How can I?'” he stressed.
How the Internet Responded
The former soldier-turned-CEO faced backlash on Reddit for expressing an insensitive opinion.
After being unemployed for some time, I don’t understand how an abundance mindset can make a difference. It frustrates me how privileged people continuously preach this idea as if jobs are abundant when I can’t even get a single interview call,” expressed one user.
Right! It’s all the fault of poor people for their poverty. It has nothing to do with the systemic inequities designed to keep them in that situation while enriching the wealthy,” stated another user.
Reddit users also criticized him for labeling Elon Musk a self-made man, given that he was born into wealth.
“Ah, Elon Musk, the self-made billionaire. He truly broke the cycle of poverty. His father was just a humble man with nothing but a diamond mine,” sarcastically remarked a third user.
