According to Robert Kiyosaki, everyday speech highlights a major distinction between the wealthy and the impoverished.
The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad points out that expressions like “I can’t afford it,” “I’ll try,” and “the rich are greedy” reflect individual financial mindsets. In a recent social media post on X, he suggested that constantly repeating these statements helps cement a scarcity mentality.
The Phrases Kiyosaki Says Keep People Poor
Kiyosaki’s perspective extends past mere positive thinking. His main message is that wealthy individuals view money through a different lens, particularly regarding how income is generated.
He breaks down income into three distinct groups.
- Earned income derives from wages and typically carries the heaviest tax burden.
- Portfolio income originates from investment vehicles such as retirement accounts.
- Passive income is preferred by Kiyosaki and can occasionally benefit from much more favorable tax policies.
This framework sheds light on a frequently cited example of his: Warren Buffett.
Buffett has famously registered a lower effective tax rate than his secretary during certain years because the bulk of his wealth stems from investments rather than a traditional salary.
ProPublica expanded on this dynamic. Relying on leaked IRS records, one investigation calculated Buffett’s “true tax rate” at a mere 0.1% over the 2014–2018 span by contrasting his paid taxes with the growth of his total wealth.
That specific statistic remains a point of debate since unrealized investment gains typically escape taxation as income.
Why Kiyosaki Keeps Telling People to Stop Thinking Like Employees
For years, Kiyosaki has driven home a consistent theme: decrease dependence on cash and focus on asset ownership.
He notes that he has maintained holdings in gold since 1971, silver since 1965, Bitcoin since 2012, and more recently, Ethereum.
While his market projections draw considerable interest—with several of his 2026 targets sitting far from current market values—his core premise is much more straightforward than any forecast. Kiyosaki maintains that how individuals discuss finances ultimately mirrors how they anticipate money will function for them.