There are only two races, tribes, skin colors, languages, creeds and/or ideologies, at least on this side of eternity; they are wealth and poverty.
Let me start by emphasizing the fact that the word "poor" as used here mostly refers to mental poverty which creates and sustains physical deprivation, so it would include people who earn high digit salaries but are still mentally poor hence they are always one paycheck away from being on the streets. The reverse is also true that there are instances of folks who though not having too much by way of disposable income yet their wealthy internal state means they can cover all their bills and pass across as being materially wealthy without any intentional attempt at pretense or play acting.
Outlined below are the seven reasons in no particular order of importance.
1. THE POOR MAN'S ENTIRE LIFE IS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION. All his/her valuable assets are constantly under threat. Being perpetually in need of help/support for everything you do means you're always vulnerable. You're like someone living in an uncompleted building that's without walls. All your problems and opportunities are known to everyone cause even when folks have zero intention of granting your requests, they'll still insist on asking; "what do you need it for?". In other words, let's see if your difficulty can be used against you in the future or if your ideas can be stolen right now, since the beggar is without choice.
Being perpetually in need of help/support for everything you do means you're always vulnerable.
2. THE POOR CAN NEVER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE. A sudden change in weather affects the poor the most and they can never take advantage of fleeting opportunities even if they are the first to see it. Folks always see them coming from miles out. Their ideas of the poor are easily stolen by others. Their weaknesses are easily exploited by those who would take immense pleasure in seeing them get even weaker. They would never taste the wealth and power that comes from secrecy.
Their ideas of the poor are easily stolen by others.
3. THE POOR WILL ALWAYS PAY THE HIGHEST PRICE FOR EVERYTHING. They have no bargaining power. Those who have will be given more while those who don't have or have very little, will have even their little taken from them, hence the poor hardly get any real discounts and when there are volume discounts, they can't even take advantage of it. The highest interest rates/penalties are reserved for the poor who are seen as "high risk". The rich on the other hand get bonuses and are swiftly forgiven when they default on their obligations. The poor also pay the steepest price for their crimes which most times are not even classified as crimes when the wealthy does the same thing. For the poor, most things are crimes.
For the poor, most things are crimes.
4. BEING WEALTHY MEANS YOU KNOW THE PLEASURE OF LIVING FOR FREE. The wealthy live on public and private welfare without the stigma that goes with it when you're poor. The government begs you to take free stuff, friends and family trying to impress you keep giving gifts they can't even afford. Being able to hire the best professionals means you end up inventing legal run-arounds to paying taxes, penalties and fees both public and private. Service providers routinely forgo their fees just to have you as a client.
The wealthy live on public and private welfare without the stigma that goes with it when you're poor.
5. THE WEALTHY GET THE LEVERAGE THAT COMES FROM PERCEPTION. The mere fact that folks think you are wealthy; whether true or not, means you get several benefits without really paying the price. While the perception of affluence works for the wealthy, even a slight suspicion of of insufficiency works against the poor. Unfortunately "fake it until you make it" is not a sustainable strategy, you will actually need to be wealthy to cash-in on the perception windfall and to keep it.
While the perception of affluence works for the wealthy, even a slight suspicion of of insufficiency works against the poor.
6. THE RICH KNOW THINGS FIRST. In contrast to the poor, the wealthy learn from/avoid everyone's mistakes while seizing the best opportunities out there because people just can't stop telling them stuff. The wealthy get the right of first refusal and the privilege of early access. Even though they expend adequate resources on knowing everybody's business(they call it corporate intelligence when it's mostly espionage), still the wealthy get enough FREE information from everywhere and they get it early.
The wealthy get the right of first refusal and the privilege of early access.
7. THE POOR MAN IS FORCED TO BE CHAMELEON. Ever flexible, the poor is constantly forced to adapt to other people's whims. They never speak their mind; their views are never truly theirs, just what they've adopted for now to survive. They live in a prison of their own minds and bodies. Hiding their true selves for the sake of survival.
Ever flexible, the poor is constantly forced to adapt to other people's whims.
In conclusion, if you have read this write-up dispassionately without the prejudices that accompany political, social or religious ideology or philosophy, you will realize that racism for example, along with several other "isms" used by the ruling class to divide and polarize the poor mass within most populations is just a mere superficial construct. It serves as an elixir that keeps the poor from ever waking up to the fact that the only things that separates human beings are wealth and poverty. There are only two races, tribes, skin colors, languages, creeds and/or ideologies, at least on this side of eternity; they are wealth and poverty. And by extension, strength and weakness and these two hate each other deeply.
So, next time you assume or suspect hate or discrimination being directed at you, on account of the many superficial "isms", just know that the real reason why you are being excluded and/or marginalized is because you are poor and weak. Amongst the wealthy, the "isms" disappear.