A persons reality is only what he or she believes. This does not mean reality is actually what someone believes, just the personal reality. You believe you are poor because you think it is true. Much like how I cannot believe in god, you cannot believe you are rich, because your mind knows better. Your belief you are poor is strong, whether it be from faith or reason, and it cannot easily be overcome. It's a little silly to have this concept argued over without even identifying it. If my memory serves me right it is called...fuck, how do you spell it. You know, starts with an e, ends with a tialism. Wait till I get back to college, my roommate knows what I'm talking about.