Poverty and the worry that goes with it uses up so much mental energy that the poor have little room in their brains for anything else.
As a result, people of limited means are more likely to make mistakes and bad decisions that may be amplified by—and perpetuate—their financial woes.
A new study suggests that being poor may keep some people from concentrating on ways that would lead them out of poverty. Cognitive function is diminished by the constant and all-consuming effort of coping with the immediate effects of having little money, such as scrounging to pay bills and cut costs.
