You obviously have no idea what it&#x27;s like to grow up poor. The fear, the guilt, the frustration, and the exhaustion that you learn almost as if through sheer osmosis from your parents.<p>The author is not arguing that you literally cannot compete if you&#x27;re poor. But it&#x27;s the very mindset from growing up in poverty that, through almost every interaction you have in childhood, leads you to _believe_ that you cannot compete, which prevents you from even trying. And even if you overcome that feeling (through constant hard work and willpower, such as our author&#x27;s), say you do try to compete with the rich kids, then your lack of inborn confidence is so obviously apparent that you come off as inexperienced, or insincere.  This is perfectly accurate in my own experience.<p>Mindset inequality is actually an incredible way to describe it.