5 Habits that Impoverish Your Mind

There is no greater poverty than poverty of the mind. It is what makes you feel worthless and keeps you inactive and timid — not ideal if you want to reach your potential. Today we want you to know that there are habits that impoverish your mind and should be stopped.

Habits that impoverish your mind have a lot to do with your attitude. You end up as just another sheep in the flock, which doesn’t provide much more than a shaky sense of security.

A poor mind can’t see beyond appearances. It doesn’t allow you to grow. It limits your relationships to mediocrity, and it’s life without really living. So take notes, because we’re about to begin.

1. Self-pity

If there is one thing that will weaken your mind, it is to assume that you are existentially poor. Behavior like victimization and self-pity are examples, and they often make you justify your inaction or even your destructive action.

If you feel worthless, then you already are. But it doesn’t stop there. Self-pity damages your relationships. It also strengthens the idea that you don’t deserve good things in life. That means that you are more likely to resign yourself to whatever comes along. Not only that, but it is really hard to get along with someone who is constantly gloomy and complaining.

2. Obsessive saving

Excessive saving is a way of constantly saying you are poor. It’s another habit that weakens your mind. Being able to save money is really important, but in excess, it feeds an attitude of fear and stinginess.

We aren’t talking about people who are responsible with their finances and like to have a financial cushion. It’s fine to save for emergencies or something that you really want. We are talking about people who earn plenty, but they still pinch pennies and try to bargain. It’s people who won’t even spend what they need to spend because they are terrified of financial ruin, even if it isn’t a real risk.

3. Placing emphasis on material things

People who put too much emphasis on material things are like compulsive savers. This habit of measuring everything in terms of money is one of the habits that most clearly impoverishes your mind.

If you ask them, they’ll tell you that they aren’t materialistic. But if you pay attention to how they act, you’ll see that it’s not true. Their worries always have to do with money. They are always thinking about their salary and how much other people earn. Their dreams are all about buying more. They don’t have much to say about anything else.

4. Spending more than you earn

Though it might not seem like it at first, wasteful spenders are very similar to compulsive savers and materialistic people. This kind of person is almost always thinking about money and spending. Spending gives them enormous pleasure, even if it means they get into financial problems.

Spending more than you earn will impoverish your mind. That’s because it introduces dynamics in your life where money ends up playing the starring role. Your concerns start to center around debt, sales, and discounts.

5. Doing things you don’t like to do

People who spend their time doing things they don’t enjoy are wasting their life. They forget that our time on earth is short and it’s up to us to take advantage of it. In this type of attitude, we find a sense of waiting for something to happen. They’re hoping that something will come along and take them out of the misery of working on something they don’t like.

Work is an important part of life. In fact, we spend more time at work than doing anything else. So, giving up what you like to do is equivalent to giving up on life and happiness. It is a form of self-punishment.

All of these habits, and others like constantly causing conflict or staying in unhealthy relationships, are habits that truly impoverish your mind. They make you see life through a very narrow and depressing lens. Before you know it, you could end up bitter or apathetic.