Have you ever wondered why some people seem to go from strength to strength in life while some others not only tend to get stuck in a rut, but actually regress over time? It is not merely ‘bad luck’ or ‘some people just do not have it in them’. It is a manifestation of what sociologists call the Matthew Effect.

What is it?

The Matthew Effect is a sociological concept that says that people who start out in life with an advantage, no matter how small it is, continue to benefit from it throughout their life while those who start out with a disadvantage, no matter how minor it is, continue to suffer the consequences throughout their life.

But Tim Duncan, Shaq, Bo Jackson, and so many others have destroyed this philosophy.

The term was derived from Matthew 25:29, which says – For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. In simpler terms – the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. But America has destroyed this notion – capitalism and freedom offer opportunities for everyone. This is why so many people want to come to this country.

Real Life Manifestations of Matthew Effect

Education is one field where Matthew Effect can be very clearly observed. When small children learn to read, some tend to pick up the skill faster while some tend to be slow. As these children grow, the ones who picked up the skill faster tend to read more, learn more, and do well while the latter tend to lag behind.

At some point, the slow learners come to the conclusion that they are just not good enough to compete with the class-toppers and resign to their fate. From that point, it is only a downward spiral for them unless they have two good parents or at least one good parent to push them to find something they are talented in.

In business, it is not uncommon for the super rich to invest in ‘club deals’ – business ventures started by other club members from the same socioeconomic bracket. They leverage the value of their relationships with those in their social circle to the fullest extent possible to create investment and business opportunities that only those within their ultra-wealthy clique have access to. Other people challenge this line of thinking by saying it is smart to do business with people who have the capital to back up their words and thoughts.

Matthew Effect can be observed even in the field of designing. Despite the fact that there are thousands of font families to choose from, designers tend to choose from a small group of fonts that are commonly used by almost everyone in the industry and are popular with the public.

The more commonly they are used, the more popular they become. The more popular they become, the more commonly they are used. It is what they call a positive feedback loop.

Reducing the Negative Impact of Matthew Effect

The first step towards reducing the negative impact of Matthew Effect in one’s life is to understand that success and failure are both cumulative in nature. Also, the meritocratic thought of the cream rising to the top is not always true. This is why good people in society help out children who have potential or may be headed down the wrong path.

Sometimes, people tend to lag behind not because they are lazy or dumb, but because they are not provided the opportunities that are available to those who are labeled ‘bright’ and ‘ambitious’ early in their life.

The best way to negate the impact of Matthew Effect is to intervene at an early stage to make sure the skill gap between children does not widen as they grow up. Rather than segregating children based on their abilities at a young age, special care must be provided to children who lag behind and make sure they have access to resources that their peers have.

The Matthew Effect is a very useful mental model to use in your life. It helps you look at things and people in the right perspective, rather than conforming to the simplistic notion that wealth and accomplishments are a direct result of hard work alone.

Once you realize it, you will be able to leverage your successes better, learn from your failures, and achieve more in your life.