Why Is It Harder Than Ever for the Poor to Rise to Greatness?

Wealthy families provide children with early exposure to high-stakes adult environments—like business settings—giving them a head start in navigating pressure. Their parenting style tends to resemble that of investors or partners, using a collaborative, discussion-based tone. This approach helps children learn to leverage their strengths to build resources and form partnerships. In contrast, many lower-income parents, after securing basic survival needs, tend to take a hands-off approach, leaving children to develop largely on their own. Communication is often directive rather than dialogic, which can lead to children growing up overly passive and missing opportunities.

When it comes to critical life decisions, wealthy parents’ broader experience and their investment in cultivating their children’s interests from an early age help the next generation make more informed choices—often steering them toward underserved markets (blue oceans). Lower-income families, lacking access to diverse information, frequently make less optimal decisions, causing their children to drift along and compete in saturated markets (red oceans).

Furthermore, as society progresses and living costs rise, it becomes increasingly difficult for lower-income families to accumulate the capital needed to invest in their children’s future development.

The most effective changes, therefore, involve shifting parenting styles, staying informed about useful resources so parents can guide their children through pivotal decisions, and maintaining good health to avoid becoming a financial burden.

Liang Jiewen | Is There Still a Way Out for Children from Humble Backgrounds?