A woman who studied 600 millionaires found how rich you can get boils down to this...

[amastewa93]

There is certainly truth to that, but it's never quite that simple either. We are all products of our environment and upbringing. We talked about that in the thread about being poor. It's not impossible to break that cycle but it is extremely difficult. If you are told from the day you are born that your'e worthless and unloved and will never amount to anything, that messes with your head for the rest of your life. If you are surrounded by poverty and abuse or at the very least financial irresponsibility, that's what gets ingrained for you; just the same, if your parents are loving and supportive and have their acts together and teach you well, you are far more likely to succeed.

This holds SOME truth for sure. My sibling and I grew up in a not-so-great household. There was drug use, some drinking, and general neglect at times. Now our parents are separated and both sober and our relationships with them are great. However, I always made it a point to do better and build a life for myself - whereas my sibling has used our upbringing as an excuse not to move forward in life.

The same holds true of many of the people in our family. My cousins refuse to move out of Western Pa. or W. Va. (an economically starved area plagued by the opioid epidemic) to better their lives and blame any downfalls on their upbringing.