Updated: July 26, 2023
Sometimes, a person’s greatest barrier to wealth is their own belief system.
Your mindset about money, the value you put on your work, the principles you uphold in your decision-making, and how you react to life’s many circumstances can dictate how your financial future will be.
The following is a summary of how a person with an abundant mindset thinks differently from someone with a scarcity mindset, as shared in the book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker.
Check yourself against this list, and see if you have a rich or a poor mindset.
Rich mindset belief: “I create my life.”
Poor mindset belief: “Life happens to me.”
Rich mindset plays the money game to win.
Poor mindset plays the money game to not lose.
Rich mindset is committing to become rich.
Poor mindset is just wanting to become rich (but doing nothing).
Rich mindset is thinking big.
Poor mindset is thinking small.
Rich mindset focuses on opportunities.
Poor mindset focuses on obstacles.
Rich mindset is admiring other rich and successful people.
Poor mindset is resenting rich and successful people.
Rich mindset associates with positive, successful people.
Poor mindset associates with negative or unsuccessful people.
Abundant mindset: willing to promote themselves and their value.
Scarcity mindset: thinks negatively about selling and promotion.
Abundant mindset: thinking that they are bigger than their problems.
Scarcity mindset: thinking that they are smaller than their problems.
Abundant mindset: being an excellent receiver of compliments.
Scarcity mindset: tend to be a poor receiver of compliments.
Abundant mindset: prefers to get paid based on results.
Scarcity mindset: prefers to get paid based on time.
Abundant mindset: thinks “both”.
Scarcity mindset: thinks “either/or”.
Abundant mindset: focus on growing net worth.
Scarcity mindset: focus on increasing their working income.
Abundant mindset: knows how to manage their money well due to financial education.
Scarcity mindset: tends to mismanage their money due to lack of financial education.
Abundant mindset: their money works hard for them.
Scarcity mindset: works hard for their money.
Abundant mindset: acts in spite of fear.
Scarcity mindset: lets fear stop them.
Abundant mindset: constantly learns and improve.
Scarcity mindset: thinks they already know enough.
Now you know the powerful differences between having a rich mindset vs a poor mindset. Now time to ask yourself… which type of mindset do you have?
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Photo credits: ghalibonagiddy and Teppono
Wow.
Very powerful words.
This reminds me of Robert Kiyosaki’s book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. He also shared a lot of wonderful insights and differences between the rich and poor people. I think I need to brush up again my collection of success financial literacy books.
Thank you Sir Fitz for sharing this one! I’ll get a copy! 🙂
very true.
After reading those comparisons, I think I belong to the “poor” people. I accept I have a “poor” mindset in terms of personal financial management.
Thank you sir Fitz. I’ll be rich someday
Hello Sir Fitz! I actually have that book of T. Harv Eker and I really admire his book. Rich people have a different thinking/mindset compare to poor people and they really know how to take calculated risks. Also, the blueprint we acquire when we were still a child is the culprit why some of us never become rich.
Anyway, keep writing as I always visit this blog. 🙂
Yey, my financial literacy journey has taken me from the poor to rich mindset. I need to slap myself quite often because I tend to slack back to the poor minset 🙂
Thank you Sir Fitz for your wonderful articles!
Thank you very much for sharing this. I thought I knew it all being a well educated all that. You gave me a rude awakening Sir. You’re a winner!
Another great article Sir Fitz! I have read that book before, and it is really a great read. I also “think” I’m a rich man based on this list.
Sir Fitz thank you so much. this reminds me to change my mindset
Biggest load of shit.. Nothing more to say, if you think you can place PEOPLE, you, me your mother and humanity as a whole as “rich” and “poor”. You are nothing but a mindless being following the path made for you rather than creating one.. Simply, it’s not whether your rich or poor and if you view it like that you will never become anything.
So…being poor is all in the mind. This is a bunch of self justifying nonsense designed to make the “rich” feel good about themselves and the societal policies that keep them “rich”.
@guru shadow
I’m not placing anyone as “rich” and “poor”, but simply presenting to you how differently they think according to the research and studies of the book author, which I read.
In the end, it is up to you to decide where you want to be, by changing your mindset where everything begins. And you said it yourself… you’re nothing if you just follow the path that’s made for you and you should create your own – just like the very first difference where it said that those who believe they have the power to create their life are the ones who become rich in life.
@Linda
Being poor STARTS in the mind… but it doesn’t end there. It’s not all in the mind as you’ve assumed.
Also, the statements are not self-justifications to make the “rich” feel good about themselves, but rather realisations of people who have successfully changed their lives from being “poor” to being “rich”.
There’s a big difference there.
seems like i think like rich but my husband seems to be more into the poor thinking. Will that mean we’ll be middle class?:D
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that I have choices and much more control than I thought. It’s so easy to say we are products of things we can’t control but we are products of the choices we make and the opportunities we seize.
Is it okay to add to your comparison? Feel free to reject or correct if I am wrong.
Rich people GIVE money generously
Poor people HOLD money tightly
Totally agree sir Fitz, this is the book that changed my life 360 degrees.
Hi Sir, can you please post something about Real Estate Investment?
very nice!…so engligthenng!
thanks for this article sir fitz!…more power!..
I think the last point is the most important, learning never stop after college. We should continue to improve ourselves through education, self reading and talking to others. Having more knowledge and if use correctly will make you rich and successful.
your not rich, if its only money matters for you. In reality, poor people give more than rich people. wealthy people is not always about money but give value to those people who work for you. Not all rich with mind set already to focus positive or opportunities, not all poor always negative, they always try and try to achieve a goal until they become success. It’s always depends to every person, to be successful and rich it’s a choice, you only need to work hard and manage well the money.
[…] Originally posted on Ready To Rich as Rich People vs Poor People: A Powerful Comparison […]
I’m really sorry but this is the most ignorant comparison, the word rich and the word poor are actually a mindset