What is the definition of discrimination?

As a society, we have come a long way in attempting to stamp out discrimination. While we are not perfect, there have been tremendous strides forward from where we once were. But, one class in particular remains fodder for criticism, even by their own, the poor. The classification itself seems like an insult. Of course, no one wants to be poor, but somehow there seems to be more shame attached because this classification is often thought of as self-inflicted.

As Americans, we are taught that your destiny is in your own hands. You can decide if you will be a president or a prostitute, a doctor or a drug dealer, a senator or a construction worker. 

But, is it really that simple? It is a nice thought. We have so much control over our own lives, and we can all be “self-made” men. And, if we fail? There is no one to blame, but ourselves. We did not work hard enough, or we are not clever or crafty or diligent enough.

In the 1970’s, there was an experiment that involved children, marshmallows, and delayed gratification. The gist of the experiment was to give the child a marshmallow and leave the child alone. The child was told if they did not eat the marshmallow, they would receive another marshmallow when the scientist returned, but if they ate it, they would not receive another. The study found that the children that waited to receive the second marshmallow were more successful in life. Those children had better paying jobs, and higher educations, leading the scientist to deduce that children with more will power would be more successful in life. 

But, what is the rest of the story? Turns out scientists could not replicate the results of the 1970’s study. What they did find was socioeconomics was a driving factor on whether the children waited for the second marshmallow. Let me break that down for you: if the child came from a poor background, they did not wait for the second marshmallow, and those children became the less “successful” adults.

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The continued blog discrimination against the poor will be continue in my next blog: Discrimination against the Poor II. Contact the attorneys at LifeBackLaw and see us at www.LifeBackLaw.com and let us help you get your life back.