Psychology says people who grew up poor develop a relationship with money that wealthy people mistake for anxiety - but it's actually a form of hypervigilance that kept their family from catastrophe - Silicon Canals

"Growing up without financial cushions, your brain develops its own safety mechanisms. It's like having antivirus software that's always running in the background - constantly scanning for threats, updating defenses, never quite relaxing even when things seem fine."

"This hypervigilance around money isn't a disorder or dysfunction. It's an adaptation. A survival skill. A form of intelligence that develops when the margin for error is razor-thin."

Financial instability during childhood creates lasting neurological adaptations that manifest as constant mental calculation and budgeting awareness. This hypervigilance functions as a survival mechanism, not a disorder. People from working-class backgrounds develop sophisticated financial tracking systems, mentally organizing priorities and resources automatically. The brain's response to financial uncertainty operates like continuous background monitoring software, always scanning for threats and adjusting defenses. This adaptation represents intelligence and resilience developed when financial margins are minimal. The constant mental math and immediate strategizing observed in people's reactions to unexpected bills reflects deeply ingrained survival skills rather than anxiety or stress responses.

Read at Silicon Canals