We know that the rich keep getting richer.
Of course, if you’ve been following my blogs you’ll know a lot of it has to do with the way they think and the habits they’ve developed. 
In fact Tom Corley and I have written our book Rich Habits Poor Habits which explains this in more detail.
A number of years ago Steve Seibold wrote about the same topic in his great book: "How Rich People Think."
One interesting takeaway from his book, which was confirmed by Tom Corley’s study, was that the vast majority of the rich are self-made multi millionaires.
Only a small percentage have fully inherited their wealth.
Clearly this is more proof that anyone can strike it big and claim their fortune.
Anyway... here’s are 16 ways the rich think differently according to Siebold:
1. Rich people believe poverty is the root of all evil
... while average people think MONEY is the root of all evil.
According to Siebold, the poor believe a certain shame that comes along with 'getting rich'.
'The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest', - he writes.
2. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue
... while average people think selfishness is a vice.
'The rich go out there and try to make themselves happy. They don't try to pretend to save the world', according to Siebold.
The problem is that middle class people see that as a negative - and it's keeping them poor, he writes.
'If you're not taking care of you, you're not in a position to help anyone else. You can't give what you don't have.'
You know what they say on the plane:
“Put the oxygen mask on yourself first, before you help others.”
3. Rich people have an action mentality
... while average people have a lottery mentality.
Of course we know the lottery is just a tax for those who can’t do maths.
'While the masses are waiting to pick the right numbers and praying for prosperity, the great ones are solving problems', Siebold writes.
4. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge
... while average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education.
'Many world-class performers have little formal education, and have amassed their wealth through the acquisition and subsequent sale of specific knowledge', Siebold writes.
'Meanwhile, the masses are convinced that master's degrees and doctorates are the way to wealth, mostly because they are trapped in the linear line of thought that holds them back from higher levels of consciousness ...
The wealthy aren't interested in the means, only the end.'
5. Rich people dream of the future
... while average people long for the good old days.
'People who believe their best days are behind them rarely get rich, and often struggle with unhappiness and depression', Siebold writes.
'Self-made millionaires get rich because they're willing to bet on themselves and project their dreams, goals, and ideas into an unknown future.'
6. Rich people think about money logically
... while average people see money through the eyes of emotion.
'An ordinarily smart, well-educated, and otherwise successful person can be instantly transformed into a fear-based, scarcity-driven thinker whose greatest financial aspiration is to retire comfortably,' Siebold writes.
'The world class sees money for what it is and what it's not, through the eyes of logic.
The great ones know money is a critical tool that presents options and opportunities.'
7. Rich people follow their passion 
... while average people earn money doing things they don't love.
'To the average person, it looks like the rich are working all the time,' Siebold says.
'But one of the smartest strategies of the world class is doing what they love and finding a way to get paid for it.'
On the other hand, members of the middle class take jobs they don't enjoy 'because they need the money, and they have been trained in school and conditioned by society to live in a linear thinking world that equates earning money with physical or mental effort.'
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8. Rich people are up for the challenge
... while average people set low expectations so they're never disappointed.
'Psychologists and other mental health experts often advise people to set low expectations for their life to ensure they are not disappointed,' Siebold writes.
But, he says, 'no one would ever strike it rich and live their dreams without huge expectations.'
9. Rich people believe you have to be something to get rich
... while average people believe you have to do something to get rich.
'While the masses are fixated on the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it's a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results.' Siebold writes
10. Rich people know the markets are driven by emotion and greed
... while average people believe they're driven by logic and strategy.
'The rich know that the primary emotions that drive financial markets are fear and greed, and they factor this into all trades and trends they observe,' Siebold writes.
'This knowledge of human nature and its overlapping impact on trading gives them strategic advantage in building greater wealth through leverage.'
11. Rich people teach their kids to get rich 
Rich parents teach their kids from an early age about the world of 'haves' and 'have nots,' Siebold says.
While many people have argued that he's supporting the idea of elitism, he disagrees.
'(People) say parents are teaching their kids to look down on the masses because they're poor. This isn't true,' he writes.
'What they're teaching their kids is to see the world through the eyes of objective reality - the way society really is.'
12. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained
... while average people would rather be entertained than educated.
While the rich don't put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education, they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold explains.
'Walk into a wealthy person's home and one of the first things you'll see is an extensive library of books they have used to educate themselves on how to become more successful,' he writes.
'The middle class reads novels, tabloids, and entertainment magazines.'
13. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people
The negative money mentality poisoning the middle class is what keeps the rich hanging out with the rich, Siebold says.
'(Rich people) can't afford the messages of doom and gloom,' he writes.
'This is often misinterpreted by the masses as snobbery.
Labelling the world class as snobs is another way the middle class finds to feel better about themselves and their chosen path of mediocrity.'
14. Rich people focus on earning
... while average people focus on saving.
Siebold suggests that the wealthy focus on what they will gain by taking risks, rather than how to save what they have.
'The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities,' he writes.
'Even in the midst of a cash flow crisis, the rich reject the nickle and dime thinking of the masses.
They are the masters of focusing their mental energy where it belongs: on the big money.'
15. Rich people know when to take risks
... while average people play it safe with money.
'Leverage is the watchword of the rich,' Siebold writes.
'Every investor loses money on occasion, but the world class knows no matter what happens, they will always be able to earn more.'
16. Rich people know you can have it all 
... while average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich.
The idea the wealth must come at the expense of family time is nothing but a 'cop out,' Siebold says.
'The masses have been brainwashed to believe it's an either/or equation,' he writes.
'The rich know you can have anything you want if you approach the challenge with a mindset rooted in love and abundance.'
Read more in the original book: How Rich People Think
