How Have You Been Conditioned?

Have you ever wondered why it appears as if you have been pre-programmed to believe that good things won’t happen to you? Have you ever wondered why your mindset is so hard to transform, amidst all the exposure to new information and good experiences? Perhaps it is worthwhile for us to consider how we may have been conditioned through socialization and experiences, to expect less in life. To be conditioned means to have learned or developed specific behaviours, beliefs, or responses based on repeated experiences, exposure, or influences from external sources. Conditioning can be either conscious or unconscious, and it shapes how we react to situations, interpret the world, and make decisions. Essentially, it’s the process by which habits, thoughts, and behaviours are formed through environmental, social, and psychological factors.

Conditioning in the Context of Wealth and Poverty-

When we talk about being conditioned toward wealth or poverty, it refers to the subconscious way in which we internalize attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs about money, success, and failure. These beliefs are often formed over time through:

Family Influence: The values and habits surrounding money that are passed down from parents and caregivers.

Cultural and Societal Norms: The messages we receive from society, including media, social groups, and economic systems, about what is possible or appropriate in terms of wealth and success.

Personal Experiences: Positive or negative experiences, such as witnessing financial struggles or successes, can create conditioned responses to money—either avoidance, fear, or aspiration.

Examples of Conditioning:

Positive Conditioning: If you grow up in an environment where hard work is consistently rewarded with opportunities and success, you might develop a positive, motivated mindset toward achieving wealth and success.

Negative Conditioning: If you’re repeatedly told that “money doesn’t grow on trees” or “rich people are greedy,” you might develop limiting beliefs that prevent you from pursuing financial growth or feeling deserving of wealth.

Ultimately, being conditioned means that your responses, beliefs, and behaviours toward certain situations are learned over time and can sometimes operate outside of your conscious awareness. Being aware of your conditioning is the first step in challenging and changing it, especially if it no longer serves your well-being or goals.

Signs that you may be conditioned towards poverty –

If you’ve been conditioned toward poverty, you may notice certain behaviours, thoughts, and attitudes that limit your financial potential. Here are some signs that you might have been conditioned toward poverty:

1. Scarcity Mentality Constant Worry About Money: You may always feel anxious about not having enough money, even if you’re not in immediate financial distress. This mindset can prevent you from seeing opportunities and taking risks that could lead to financial growth.

Fear of Losing Money: If you have a deep fear of losing what little you have, you might avoid investments or money-making opportunities that carry any level of risk, even if the potential return is significant.

2. Limiting Beliefs About Wealth

Belief That Money Is Hard to Come By: If you think that wealth is something reserved for others, or that money is only accessible through luck or privilege, this mindset will likely hold you back from seeking out opportunities to increase your wealth.

Deserving of Poverty: You might feel like you don’t deserve financial success or wealth, believing that only certain people are “worthy” of prosperity. This belief can lead to self-sabotaging behaviours or a lack of effort to change your financial situation.

3. Living Pay check to Pay check

Constantly Struggling to Meet Basic Needs: If you’re always just getting by, it may feel like you’re stuck in a cycle of financial struggle. This can be a sign that you’ve internalized habits of scarcity, whether that’s spending impulsively, failing to save, or avoiding conversations about managing money.

Lack of Long-Term Planning: You may avoid setting long-term financial goals because you feel it’s pointless or unattainable. A lack of financial vision for the future can be a sign of conditioning toward a life of financial survival rather than growth.

4. Avoiding Financial Education

Ignoring or Distrusting Financial Advice: If you dismiss the value of financial literacy or feel overwhelmed by the idea of managing money, it could be because you’re conditioned to believe that financial knowledge is either irrelevant to you or unattainable. This could lead to poor financial decisions or a lack of awareness about opportunities for wealth-building.

No Budgeting or Tracking of Money: Failing to track spending, create a budget, or make a financial plan can stem from the belief that you can’t manage your finances effectively or that it’s too much effort.

5. Deflecting Personal Responsibility

Blaming External Factors for Financial Struggles: You might find yourself blaming external circumstances like the economy, your upbringing, or other people for your financial challenges rather than acknowledging personal choices or missed opportunities.

Feeling Powerless or Helpless: A common sign of being conditioned for poverty is a sense of helplessness in changing your financial situation. If you feel like you have no control over your finances, this mindset can prevent you from taking proactive steps toward improving your wealth.

6. Self-Sabotaging Financial Behaviour

Procrastination or Avoidance: Avoiding important financial tasks like saving, investing, or dealing with debt may be a result of fear or a deep belief that these efforts won’t lead to anything worthwhile.

Spending to Cope with Emotions: If you use spending as a way to escape feelings of inadequacy or anxiety, you may be stuck in a cycle that makes it harder to break free from poverty. Retail therapy or impulsive spending can often be linked to a deeper conditioning that money is a source of temporary comfort, not long-term stability.

7. Low Expectations for Financial Success

Minimal Ambition or Risk-Taking: You might not have the drive to pursue financial goals, or you may avoid taking calculated risks because you don’t believe that success is possible for you.

Avoiding Opportunities: When presented with an opportunity for advancement or growth—whether a job, investment, or educational path—you might dismiss it as “too good to be true” or “not meant for people like me.”

8. Toxic Relationships with Money

Guilt or Shame About Having Money: If you feel guilty about accumulating wealth or equate money with greed or selfishness, this mindset can keep you stuck in a cycle of financial lack.

Attracting Financially Unhealthy Relationships: You might find yourself surrounded by people who share similar limiting beliefs about money, which can reinforce poverty-related thinking and behaviour. “Money is the root of all evil” or “money won’t bring happiness” are beliefs that can often be echoed in such environments.

9. Low Self-Worth Lack of Confidence in Your Ability to Make Money: If you have a deep-rooted belief that you’re not capable of earning more, or that making money is outside your reach, you’re conditioned to remain in a state of financial struggle.

Settling for Less: Accepting less than what you truly want, either because you believe you don’t deserve more or because you feel it’s unattainable, can also be a sign of having been conditioned toward poverty.

10. Avoidance of Wealthy Environments –

Disconnect from Successful People: You might feel uncomfortable in the presence of wealthy individuals or avoid networking with people who are successful financially, because you’ve internalized the belief that you don’t belong in those circles or that wealth is inherently bad. (Next week- how can we break free from such negative conditioning behaviours?)

Prepared by

Dr. Jozelle Miller