Kelsie Morris

Ms. Hunt
ENG 11
October 11, 2016
Its not a Lack of Self-Control that Keeps People Poor (2015): Dreaming is for Sleeping.
Success is somebody elses failure. Success is the American Dream we can keep
dreaming because most people in most places, including thirty-million of ourselves, live wide
awake in the terrible reality of poverty (Ursula K. Le Guin). The American Dream has been
the point of success for many individuals for decades. Until the American Dream was reached
and accomplished, citizens all around American worked until they bled and no longer gained any
sleep. This American Dream is the fountain of Hope in the United States and continues to
encourage people to strive for their goals. According to The Merriam-Websters Online
Dictionary, the term American Dream is defined as: An American social ideal that stresses
egalitarianism and especially material prosperity; also the prosperity or life that is the realization
of this ideal (www.merriam-webster.com). In other words, the term American Dream can be
described as the life of freedom, equality, opportunity, happiness and material comfort of an
average American citizen. Achieving the American Dream means achieving success in the
eyes of many individuals. Although this is the case, the portion of the population that live in
poverty believe that these goals are impossible and unachievable. Elliot Berkmans article titled
Its not a Lack of Self-Control that Keeps People Poor (2015) demonstrates, that according to
ones social class the American Dream and the term Success have many different definitions.
This statement can be proven by the constraint to live in the present, the inability to think clearly
during stressful times and the upbringing of children who are absent of self-efficiency.

To begin with, Elliot Berkmans article titled Its not a Lack of Self-Control that Keeps
People Poor (2015) illustrates, that the American Dream and the term Success can have a
different meaning to the citizens who have the constraint of living in the present. When one is
forced to live in the permanent now, they often have to have a great deal of self-control.
According to The Merriam Websters Online Dictionary, the term self-control is defined as:
restraint exercised over ones own impulses, emotions or desires (www.merriam-webster.com).
In other words, the term self-control can be described as: choosing behaviors and limitations
that favor long term goals over short term rewards. Although a great deal of self-control is
important to have when one is living in poverty, it is often absent. Citizens who are living in
poverty focus more on short term events. According to Elliot Berkman: People who are among
the poorest one-fifth of Americans tend to spend their money on immediate needs such as food,
utilities, and housing (Berkman 4). This limitation on spending interferes with the long term
hopes and dreams of individuals living in poverty. They are forced to focus on taking care of
their children, making ends meet and putting food on the table every day. Often, the people who
are living in poverty do not trust the factor that everything will work out perfectly. This is
because they are forced to make hard decisions on what to spend money on and what their next
move will be in the near future. Berkman states: Working toward future rewards also requires
trust that those rewards will be waiting for you when you get there (4). When future rewards
are not given to or obtained by these individuals living in poverty, they often sense a pattern that
it will occur every time one is offered or is able to be obtained. Berkman also states: And, of
course instability and unpredictability are hallmarks of life in poverty (5). There is never a set
plan when one lives in poverty and because of this they are always living on edge and are having
to think on their feet. These elements demonstrate that people living in poverty are unable to

have the same definition of success or the American dream. Along with the constraint of having
to live in the present, the inability to think clearly in stressful times also demonstrates that the
American dream and term success have different definitions to people who are living in
poverty.

Moreover, Elliot Berkmans opinionated article titled Its not a Lack of Self-Control that
Keeps People Poor (2015) exhibits, that according to ones income the American Dream and
the term Success have different definitions according to the inability to think clearly during
stressful times. When one is living in poverty they often experience more stressful situations and
because of this they form a sort of brain fog that enables them from imaging long term goals.
According to The Merriam Websters Online Dictionary, the term goal is defined as:
something that you are trying to do or achieve (www.merriam-webster.com). In other words,
the term goal can be described as the long term desired result or outcome that a person
envisions, plans or commits to achieve; a personal and organized desired end-point. When
human societies are experiencing stress they tend to focus on what they need to accomplish in
that moment instead of all of their prior/other commitments. Journalist Berkman states: But
under adverse conditions, our brains have evolved to cut down on the flourishes and focus in on
the basics of survival in the here and now (6). It is challenging to have dreams and desires
circling inside the brain during a time when all one can focus on is their next move or decision.
When one is living in poverty they are more than often living pay check to pay check, and it is
difficult for them to think of something they need to accomplish during the next few months
when they do not know what they will be feeding their children for lunch or dinner. This type of
thinking is chaotic for the human mind: That kind of handicap will make it hard for anyone to

engage in the high level thinking (6). This type of thinking is a challenge for parents and adults
in this circumstance. When the child of the adults experience and watch their mother or father
struggle in this manner, they often grow into developing the same problem of not being able to
focus on long term goals. Many experiments have been tested and results have found: Children
do better at self-control when their parents teach them to solve problems independently [] But
that kind of involved parenting takes time, and financially poor parents are often time-poor,
too (7). When parents are struggling to support their family, they are more than likely working
long hours to earn enough money. When they are at the office for long periods of time, they are
not able to spend time with their children to teach them how to handle situations. This factor
enables people in poverty to have the same experience with success or the American dream.
They are always challenged by life and believe that their situation will never improve. Along
with the inability to process long term goals, the upbringing of children who do not know how to
be self-efficient also exhibits how the American dream and success are not the same to people
living in poverty.
Furthermore, Elliot Berkmans article titled Its not a Lack of Self-Control that Keeps
People Poor (2015) illustrates, that according to ones social class the American Dream and
term Success can have different meanings to the citizens whose children are absent of selfefficacy thinking. To reach eternal success and the American dream, one must be incredibly selfefficient to survive in the present days impossible world. According to The Merriam Websters
Online Dictionary, the term efficient is defined as: capable of producing desired results
without wasting materials, time or energy (www.merriam-webster.com). To be efficient requires
belief in ones self. When ones efficacy is absent, they do not believe that they have the capacity
to execute behaviors necessary to produce exceptional work. This occurs when one has a low

self-esteem, decreasing confidence and cannot help or control their motivation or social
environment. Wistfully, when living in poverty not many people contain the attribute of selfefficacy. When their children continuously watch this occur every day, they learn to think low of
themselves and tend to not believe that anything they put all of their energy into is possible.
Elliot Berkman states: children in poverty have little reason to have high self-efficacy about
self-control based on observing those around them (8). These children have little reason to
believe in these two attributes because they have never experienced or watched their superiors
feel this way about themselves. When this occurs they often do not do well in school because of
missing motivation and reason to succeed. When living in poverty some children are able to
climb out of poverty by attending college. Though this is the case many children are unable to
attend post-secondary education. Journalist Berkman states: even the brightest poor children
are still less likely to complete college than average wealthy children (8). When children are not
able to achieve even the smallest goal, their confidence decreases and the cycle of absent selfefficacy continues. Though, when a child succeeds and makes it out of poverty it often requires
more work than the average person and this can lead to poor health conditions. Berkman states:
Particularly members of minority groups, often have worse health than those who fail, showing
at least a 20% increase in a biological measure of heart disease risk (8). Disease and
deteriorating health conditions occur to people who have completed college and climbed the
ladder out of poverty. Knowing this, children in poverty have less of a desire to want to succeed.
This factor changes their views on the American dream and what could be possible.
In conclusion, Elliot Berkmans article titled Its not a Lack of Self-Control that Keeps
People Poor (2015) demonstrates, that according to ones social class the American Dream and
the term Success have many different definitions. This statement can be proven by the constraint

to live in the present, the inability to think clearly during stressful times and the upbringing of
children who are absent of self-efficiency. The term self-control can be described as: choosing
behaviors and limitations that favor long term goals over short term rewards. Although a great
deal of self-control is important to have when one is living in poverty, it is often absent. Citizens
who are living in poverty focus more on short term events. It is challenging to have dreams and
desires circling inside the brain during a time when all one can focus on is their next move or
decision. When one is living in poverty they are more than often living pay check to pay check,
and it is difficult for them to think of something they need to accomplish during the next few
months when they do not know what they will be feeding their children for lunch or dinner.
Lastly, to be efficient requires belief in ones self. When ones efficacy is absent, they do not
believe that they have the capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce exceptional work.
This occurs when one has a low self-esteem, decreasing confidence and cannot help or control
their motivation or social environment. Wistfully, when living in poverty not many people
contain the attribute of self-efficacy. These factors all demonstrate that those living in poverty
have a more difficult time imaging the American and experiencing eternal success. Success for
people living in poverty is surviving the week and supporting their children, it is not having a
comfortable amount of materials or freedom. To conclude: We need to give everybody a chance,
treat everybody with respect, and let them share in this great American dream that we have
(John Kasich).