The Myth of Poverty

Myths take on a life of their own, supplanting reality and facts within the psyche. Once a myth takes hold, it becomes difficult to eradicate it, and even once one eradicates the myth, the residue remains, spreading over the floor of our minds until we sweep out the final piece of dirt from our psyche. One of the most persistent myths that we tell ourselves is that individuals can pull themselves from poverty if they “really” want to, but individuals don’t do this because they are “lazy” or “shiftless” or have “no work ethic.” This myth has a long history, going all the way back, I would argue, to multiple intersections, specifically enslavement and Puritan theology.

Enslavers used stereotypes to justify enslaving individuals, and those stereotyped included presenting people of African descent as uncivilized and savage. This carried with it the belief that enslaved individuals were lazy and shiftless and that the enslaver had to force the enslaved to work. As a result, through enslavement, the enslaver would “civilize” the enslaved, teaching them industriousness and a dedicated work ethic, the latter of which has some roots in Puritan theology.

Puritans held to a belief in predestination, that God chose some to reside in paradise and some to languish in torment removed from God’s presence. This belief also held that everyone had a station or role in life, a position that an…