“Pull yourself up by the bootstraps” is a commonly used phrase, intended to indicate that if one is in a difficult situation, the solution is for them to just get up and work their way out of it. However, much like the issues this phrase typically refers to—namely poverty, unemployment, and similar struggles—this phrase itself is highly misunderstood by a large number of Americans. Initially presented as a late 1800s physics question pointing out that such a feat is simply impossible, it is used today to suggest that a good life is difficult, albeit possible, to achieve.
A common perception regarding poverty, as indicated by the popularity of the aforementioned phrase, is that it can be attributed to the fault of individuals who just don’t work hard enough to escape it. Those who are financially secure believe that the poor are simply just used to their condition, and that if they truly didn’t like where they were situated, they should just fix it up or get up and leave.
This is a harmful misunderstanding in two ways; for one, systemic governmental and institutional discrimination leads many, typically people of color, stuck in cycles of poverty. People in these cycles can never earn their path out of poverty just by working harder; persistent disparities in access to quality food, healthcare, education, and more act as barriers to financial security and well-being. Not acknowledging these barriers is dangerous; doing so means that the well-off can comfortably believe that people choose to be poor, and they in turn feel separated from the issue of poverty because they think they have earned a permanent position high up on the economic ladder. As a result, poverty becomes an “us vs. them” issue, where people in poverty are portrayed as freeloaders who take advantage of government assistance paid for by taxpayer money. The result? Those who need government benefits are villainized by luckier individuals who don’t need it and can never fathom needing said benefits.
Poverty is not a problem that is limited to a small subsection of Americans. In fact, three-quarters of all Americans will encounter poverty or near poverty at some point in their lives, with over half experiencing at least one year below the poverty line between the ages of 20 and 75. As it currently stands, over a quarter of Americans have savings under $1,000, including 20% of Baby Boomers and 32% of Gen-Zers, meaning that a large number of people may be left with nothing to their name if one or two paychecks are missed.
Compounding the problem is the ever-increasing cost of living. Between 2000 and 2022, the cost of fuel and utilities increased by 115%, while the minimum wage has increased by only 29% in that time (from $5.15 to $7.25, although it has remained unchanged since 2009). Prices will keep going up, and minimum wage will continue crawling along at rates that cannot nearly compare to inflation. It is getting harder and harder to plan for sudden and unexpected expenses, and although “feeling” safe from poverty might provide comfort, it is, for many Americans, a feeling that is not based in reality.
The stigma behind government assistance and the myth of the “welfare queen” (a term with a very interesting history) only perpetuates unfair and often racist stereotypes around people trapped in situations that are not in their control, keeping them from getting the help they need and keeping assistance programs underfunded and underused. When we, as a society, finally come to the realization that we are only getting poorer and poorer and can no longer afford necessary expenses, we will come to regret not prioritizing assistance programs.
It is immensely difficult to get the masses to change their viewpoints on poverty. Overcoming our individualistic culture is a struggle, and it has been keeping us from working as a collective towards shared interests (Deborah Stone, author of “Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making”, describes this as the Polis Model of society, based around community cooperation). However, change is happening on a small scale all around us. Mutual aid organizations, such as South Brooklyn Mutual Aid, have successfully provided support through grocery donations, clothing, outreach, and other resources to underprivileged groups. Through its “solidarity not charity” philosophy, this volunteer-led group works to dismantle the stigma behind needing assistance; rather than feeling singled out for needing help, individuals see themselves as part of a united, caring community with members who assist each other in times of need.
Although we, as individuals, may not be able to change the world and solve the problem of poverty in one fell swoop, we can work to dismantle the stigma around government assistance. Together, we can pull each other up by all our bootstraps, make real change, and work towards a collective culture, free of stigma, in our own backyards.
Stephanie Chernyavsky is a senior Roosevelt Scholar in Hunter College majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Public Policy. Currently, she is a fellow at Berger Hirschberg Strategies, where she works to build funding for various nonprofit organizations. She previously worked as an intern for New York City Councilmember Brewer, as well as an environmental justice fellow with Tri-State Transportation Campaign. She aims to attend law school starting in Fall 2025, where she hopes to pursue public interest law.
