Two Simple Things That Can Block Many People’s Entire Lives

1. Most people simply don't know how to evaluate value—they lack the mental habit of figuring out exactly what something is really worth.

In other words, many people's spending habits are no different from a child's: if a product catches their eye, they buy it. They never compare price against value.

2. The ability to spend without borrowing and to avoid consuming tomorrow's resources today is a rare and valuable trait.

Said another way, a significant portion of people lack self-control. They can't manage their finances, their income and expenses never balance, and so where would investment capital come from? Even if they get the idea to "invest," they're just planning to borrow money and gamble it all on one shot, hoping to wipe out all their debts at once. That's not investing—that's gambling.