Editorial: If you are born poor, your chances of success are a fraction of those born rich.

That the rich kids are going to do better is not in disputed. But the why of it is.

People may hate it, but it is undeniable that the kids of the rich will on average be far, far more successful than those born poor. Some will tell you that it is the superior education that the rich kids get. But there is a lot of evidence against that being that big of a factor. A lot more claim it is the opportunities that being the child of a rich person brings. But it is looking more and more likely that, that too, is only a small contributing factor, not a defining factor in why. What habits are installed in children by sixteen years of age might just be the largest single factor of all on how successful they will eventually be.

You are not going to get those habits in a school. They come from home. If your habits made you successful and you are teaching those same habits to your children, chances are they are going to be successful too. But if the habit you have are keeping you poor, your kids are more than likely going to pick up those same habits. There are exceptions, of course, and there are a hand full of parents that go out of their way to ensure that their kid picks up better habits than they have, but those are the exceptions.

More opportunities isn’t going to fix that. Nor is improving schools going to have that big an effect, though it will help prevent some of that handicapping that does happen. Lots of people are going to try to sell you quick easy fixes; that if we only fix this, it will get better, but there are no quick fixes. Your best bet is going to remain; learn the habits it takes to be successful, become successful, then teach your kids those habits.

Most of the poor are going to keep the habits that are keeping them poor, and keep teaching those habits to their kids. But not all. And that percentage can be more or less of the poor doing that, by changing what behaviors get reward, and what things get penalties. That goes for life and in the schools. But it still isn’t going to change the fundamental thing that the rich are going to be teaching their kid better habit right from the start, so are going to average a lot better.