“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance.
But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
This is what’s known as the Matthew Effect.
Advantages accumulate. Disadvantages compound.
Those who start with luck, privilege, resources, or even just a stable home—tend to keep winning.
Those who start with trauma, poverty, or pain—tend to keep struggling.
And people who keep losing often internalize the idea:
“Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m bad.”
But it’s not about worth.
It’s not about who’s better or who deserves more.
It’s about starting positions—and what builds from them.
Confidence, stability, resilience, deservingness, risk tolerance, belief in your future, agency—those things grow over time, or they erode. The Matthew Effect is a law of momentum.
But momentum can be broken.
And it can be rebuilt. Though I continue trying, I find myself unable to sustain any positive momentum for long.
