We develop a model of internal constraints to show that a greater degree of initial disadvantage
results in a higher likelihood of low aspirations and low achievement. Our model and
results are supported by evidence from anthropology, sociology and social psychology. Our
analysis suggests that internal constraints are a key ingredient in perpetuating poverty traps.
We show that a poor person will choose to restrict her cognitive window (the set of other individuals
who are her role models) and study the conditions under which a role model could
alter her aspirations and achievement. We show how enodgenously chosen cognitive windows
interact with the inital distribution of status to determine whether or not a society is connected,
and hence the transmission of aspirations across individuals in that society. Our work provides
a normative justification for programs that aim at empowering disadvantaged individuals by
directly shocking their aspirations
