[solipsism]

If understanding compound interest and (more generally) feedback loops is important, then so is critical thinking. For example:

> many of the folks that have gone through similar transformations don't come from "easy" backgrounds.

Some simple critical thinking skills and basic logic (often learned in a philosophy course, but not always) would help one understand that this shows only that the statement <it's impossible for any poor person to become wealthy> is false. It certainly says nothing about the idea that <all poor people could become wealthy>.