its a cycle
x3
Some kid grows up poor, gets sick of poverty, works like a demon to horde as much wealth as he can so his kid never has to go through the same thing.
The kid comes along and he's torn. Does the father use his wealth to give the kid the comforts he never had, or simulate the same harsh environment that made him so tough and successful? Invariably, he chooses somewhere in the middle.
Now, the son is easily confused: why is dad making things so hard for him? He gets the "lesson", but it rings false. Dad is uneducated, out of touch, and too hard--he's so self-sacrificing that there's nothing left! What's the point of working so hard, if not security and luxury? But security from what? Poverty? He lives worse than a poor person anyway, working like a dog and never indulging in the luxury that he can afford.
So the son gets a little soft... And who can blame him for being "entitled"? He had a good childhood--nothing like the hellhole dad fought his way out of. And now he has to work just as hard... For what, to become like dad? "Nah, i'll indulge," he says, and scrapes by. His inheritence is enough to ensure he never really needs to worry about himself, but what about his own son? Should he have one, or not? Well, its a tough choice. He's getting old without having made a mark. Loneliness is just around the corner... So he decides to take the plunge, overcoming indecision in a moment of recklessness.
But never having made a name for himself, how can he guide his own son? He never "succeeded", so how will he pass on the secret of success? And dad's fortune isn't enough to cover a third generation. So junior finds himself in the same shithole granddad climbed out of--son of a deadbeat, lost dad without a penny to his name--and echoes the same vow, "my kid won't have it this bad!"
Meanwhile, everyone wonders why they can't trace their family line back past three generations
"Hordes of useless animals, wandering and falling without notice."
