--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Poverty is about low, self-esteem and a…" description: "\"Poverty is about low, self-esteem and a lack of role models and opportunities. Without money, people resort to de-dignifying activities in order to sup..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4e/john-hope-bryant-30354_activity_poverty-is-about-low-self-esteem-and-a-l_345794.png" --- # Poverty is about low, self-esteem and a lack of role… ![“Poverty is about low, self-esteem and a lack of role models and opportunities. Without money, people resort to de-dignifying activities in order to support themselves. We free people through education and entrepreneurship. Freedom is self-determination, and you can't self-determine without…” quote by John Hope Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4e/john-hope-bryant-30354_activity_poverty-is-about-low-self-esteem-and-a-l_345794.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4e/john-hope-bryant-30354_activity_poverty-is-about-low-self-esteem-and-a-l_345794.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4e/john-hope-bryant-30354_activity_poverty-is-about-low-self-esteem-and-a-l_345794.png) > “Poverty is about low, self-esteem and a lack of role models and opportunities. Without money, people resort to de-dignifying activities in order to support themselves. We free people through education and entrepreneurship. Freedom is self-determination, and you can't self-determine without understanding money and capitalism.” [John Hope Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hope-bryant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poverty stems from low self‑esteem, missing role models, and limited opportunities; money scarcity pushes people into degrading work. Education and entrepreneurship empower self‑determination, which requires financial literacy and understanding capitalism. **In simple terms:** Poverty is linked to low confidence, lack of role models, and limited chances; money scarcity leads to degrading work. Education and entrepreneurship enable freedom, which needs financial knowledge. Key Takeaway Education and entrepreneurship are keys to freedom and self‑determination. Themes poverty self‑esteem opportunity education entrepreneurship financial literacy Mood determious determined Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - community development - job training - small business start‑ups - financial workshops Key Concepts Self‑esteem role models capitalism empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure education reaches those most in need? - What role should policy play alongside entrepreneurship? A Different Perspective Education alone may not overcome systemic barriers without policy change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Causes of poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes-of-poverty/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Determined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneur/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem/) [Free people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-people/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Key to success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-to-success/) [Low self esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/low-self-esteem/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Resorts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resorts/) [Road to success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/road-to-success/) [Role models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-models/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-determination/) [Self esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-esteem/) [Self improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-improvement/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I reached across the aisle to write an economic development bill that addressed poverty in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-espy/as-a-member-of-the-u-s-house-of-representatives-i-reached-across-the/) [Mike Espy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-espy/) > [Understanding money is part of being independent. 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So it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-leipzig/artists-don-t-like-the-business-side-none-of-us-were-born/) [Adam Leipzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-leipzig/) > [Getting down and dirty, learning how hard people work and understanding the money people put into the tickets gave me a new perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/getting-down-and-dirty-learning-how-hard-people-work-and/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [The rich continue to get rich the same way they always have - by understanding how money works and making their money work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-rich-continue-to-get-rich-the-same-way-they-always-have-by/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [The dirty truth is that the rich are the great cause of poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/the-dirty-truth-is-that-the-rich-are-the-great-cause-of-poverty/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) > [For what you call the Law is but a club of the rich over the lowest of men, sanctifying the conquest of the earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrard-winstanley/for-what-you-call-the-law-is-but-a-club-of-the-rich-over-the-lowest/) [Gerrard Winstanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrard-winstanley/) > [People say that the monetary system produces incentive. 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Our hope was that knowledge would in the long run be more useful, provide more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-hess/government-programs-aim-at-getting-money-for-poor-people-our-hope-was/) [Karl Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-hess/) > [The root cause of poverty is social injustice and the bad government that abets it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-root-cause-of-poverty-is-social-injustice-and-the-bad-government/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Because there is global insecurity, nations are engaged in a mad arms race, spending billions of dollars wastefully on instruments of destruction, when millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/because-there-is-global-insecurity-nations-are-engaged-in-a-mad-arms/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Rich people invest money and poor people spend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-cardone/rich-people-invest-money-and-poor-people-spend-it/) [Grant Cardone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-cardone/) > [There are no causes of poverty. It is the rest state, that which happens when you don't do anything. If you want to experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madsen-pirie/there-are-no-causes-of-poverty-it-is-the-rest-state-that-which/) Madsen Pirie ## More by John Hope Bryant > [You can make money two ways - make more, or spend less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hope-bryant/you-can-make-money-two-ways-make-more-or-spend-less/) [John Hope Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hope-bryant/) > [There is a difference between broke and being poor. Being broke is a temporary economic condition, but being poor is a disabling frame of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hope-bryant/there-is-a-difference-between-broke-and-being-poor-being-broke-is-a/) [John Hope Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hope-bryant/) > [Dr. King once said, "You cannot legislate goodness, and you cannot pass a law to force someone to respect you. 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You aren’t living your truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hope-bryant/if-you-re-not-passionate-about-what-you-re-doing-you-need-to-stop/) [John Hope Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hope-bryant/) > [Poverty is not what's in your pocket - its what you have in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hope-bryant/poverty-is-not-what-s-in-your-pocket-its-what-you-have-in-your-head/) [John Hope Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hope-bryant/) > [Love created this world, & the lack of it can kill it. Selfishness, self-absorption , arrogance & indifference never built anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hope-bryant/love-created-this-world-the-lack-of-it-can-kill-it-selfishness-self/) [John Hope Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hope-bryant/) > [“There is a difference between being broke and being poor. 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If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Fighting's fun, man. 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