Many people believe that everyone has the opportunity to succeed and become wealthy and that poor people are poor because they lack motivation or aren't working hard enough. In a recent survey, over one-fifth of Americans thought poor people were lazy or didn't work hard enough, and almost 40 percent thought it wasn't hard for them to get jobs.

It's easier for us to think this way because it takes away any responsibility we have to society for the problem. It also provides a reason for us not to feel sympathy or empathy toward poor people - a feeling that might motivate us to do something to change the situation. This type of victim blaming perpetuates the problem allowing us to think and feel that we have no responsibility to do anything about it.

But reality and facts disprove this notion and show it to be a myth.

In every facet of our society, you can find that rich people get privileges and opportunities that they aren't necessarily entitled to, without even paying for them. These perks are usually not available to poor people, especially during their formative years, disadvantaging them early on.

Starting from elementary school, and even before, the difference is evident. If one lives in a more affluent or rich neighborhood they will have access to better schools and better teachers than in poorer areas. While the rich can afford to get additional help like tutors, or even to take their kids to private schools, they are just given the better schools. At the same time, poor people who cannot afford to provide additional support are deprived of the help they desperately need. With a subpar education, they aren't given the proper guidance they need to gain access to opportunities that could be available to them and therefore miss out on chances that can make a huge difference in their lives, such as going to college or accessing higher-paying jobs.

An article in the Atlantic explains some of the causes of this disparity in spending on schools and the history of reforms in the education system. They highlight the fact that we need to reform the education system to provide the equal opportunity we believe exists, but actually doesn't.

The parents of these poor kids are usually working long hours in very difficult, low paying jobs that don't give them the chance to be with their children and supplement the lack of support. Not to mention that they too are often not educated enough to help with their children's education.

The jobs we call menial, like being a janitor, store clerk, garbage collector etc., are necessary for society to run and in most cases are more difficult than other higher paying jobs. We shouldn't be looking down on the people who do these jobs, and they should get paid a living wage. The disparity in what workers on the low-end of the spectrum get paid and what executives get paid is sometimes mind-boggling. Yes, society gives privileges to the educated and that is a good thing. But when we close the door in the face of poorer people, either by making education too expensive for them to afford, or by not allowing them the opportunity to access resources available to them, we deprive them from the means to access better paying jobs, forcing them into a life cycle of servitude and poverty.

Another aspect where poor people are disadvantaged is the criminal justice system, which is set up in a way that punishes petty crimes harshly and lets huge swindlers go away with very little punishment. White-collar crimes, while more costly to society and harm vast numbers of people are often not criminally prosecuted. Poor people are more likely to commit petty crimes, because of their difficult, sometimes desperate, situations. One petty crime is enough to create a criminal record which then makes it extremely difficult to obtain a job, build credit, or access education, pushing people into a cycle of crime and desperation.

There have been many studies done on these different aspects of inequality, I only touch on a few basic ones, but our outlook has a definite impact on our willingness to improve or change things.

A Youtuber did an experiment to see how people reacted to the poor versus the rich if they happened to be down on their luck. He went asking for money on the street, wearing dirty clothes and acting homeless. Passers-by turned the other way or avoided him. Then someone, perhaps security, told him to leave the area. He changed to a nice suit and held a sign saying "down to my last million." This time several people stopped by, some giving him money and wishing him good luck. He was not kicked out this time. There are many videos with similar experiments all demonstrating society's negative outlook toward poor people in general. I think this shows how the problem is perpetuated by society.

Let's not excuse what's happening and instead try to be more proactive and considerate with the less fortunate. The next time you see a homeless person, think about yourself in that position. A simple act of kindness can change someone's life.