The Basis of the Pareto Principle
Scripture
Psychology
Psychology
Not surprisingly, there seems to be a scriptural basis for this phenomenon. Jesus made plain the statement, “ For the poor always ye have with you.” (John 12:8) Jesus promised an enduring inequality at least until the end of the present age. Luke 19:26 almost states the Pareto Principle directly when it says, “That everyone which hath shall be given, and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him." Jacob claims that this is the active principle that allowed him to become wealthy, “God hath taken away the cattle of your father and given them to me.” (Genesis 31:9)
Psychology
Psychology
Psychology
Psychologists have identified many possible explanations for the success of some and the failure of others. The IQ tests developed by psychologists have proven to be great predictors of long term success in life. Other personality tests add conscientiousness as an indicator of success and productivity as well. The psychologists would identify certain aspects of human nature and other natural abilities as to why some people succeed and others do not.
Sinful Nature
The Christian world view adds another dimension to the psychological explanations of the observations of Price’s Law and the Pareto Distribution. Christians believe that in addition to possessing God-given abilities, the presence of the sinful nature in all human beings plays a part in their success and failure in the world. Proverbs 11:24, for instance, teaches that a lack of generosity and charity results in poverty, “There is that scattereth and yet increaseth, and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
Sinful Nature
The promise found in Proverbs 10:3 is clear as well, “The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish, but He casteth away the substance of the wicked.” The Bible further outlines that as sinful men overcome their sinful natures and tendency towards laziness, success will result, “The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” (Proverbs 13:4)
What can be clearer than Proverbs 10:4? “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” The sinful nature of man is certainly a real factor in the inequalities of the Pareto Principle.