What Your Pizza Slice Says About Your Politics

Let’s talk about scarcity mindset, solidarity, and systems

Four women of diverse races, between their 30s to 60s, walking through a field with linked arms, smiling and laughing.

I recently saw a post about the difference in mentality between taking 3 slices of pizza or 1, and how that simple decision reflects what we’re seeing all around us right now. Let’s explore that more.

Picture this:

You’re first in line at a community pizza table. You see 8 slices. 10 people are behind you.

You have two choices:

“I’ll take 3 slices, just in case there’s not enough.” or

“I’ll take 1 slice, so there’s enough for others.”

That choice isn’t just about pizza. It reflects your worldview, especially how you think about resources, justice, and community.

What is scarcity mindset?

Scarcity mindset is the belief that:

There isn’t enough to go around
If I don’t get mine now, I’ll lose out
Other people’s gain means my loss
The system can’t (or won’t) take care of us all

It’s a mindset born from real conditions like poverty, trauma, and systemic neglect, but it’s also reinforced by capitalism, colonialism, and white supremacy.

It tells us: “Don’t ask why there isn’t enough, just fight each other over the scraps.”

Real-world examples of scarcity mindset in action:

“I paid off my student loans, why should anyone else get theirs forgiven?” → You were failed by a predatory education system that saddled millions with lifelong debt while tuition skyrocketed and wages stagnated.

Let’s fight for a future where education is accessible and not punish others for escaping the trap you were stuck in.

“If people get universal basic income, they’ll stop working!” → You were failed by a capitalist system that ties your worth to productivity, ignores caregiving and disability, and makes rest feel like laziness.

Basic income is about survival, not luxury, and no one should have to suffer to deserve support.

“Why do they get extra support?” → You were failed by a colonial, white supremacist system that taught you equity is unfair, and that justice for others somehow takes away from you.

But equity isn't a threat to your rights. It’s the path to shared freedom.

📌 Scarcity mindset turns shared struggle into resentment, instead of shared power and resistance. It makes us blame each other for the harm caused by systems designed to fail most of us.

On the flip side, Solidarity mindset says:

Everyone deserves enough
My wellbeing is connected to yours
We rise by lifting each other
Systems can be changed—not just endured

This mindset shows up in:

Support for public healthcare, housing, and education
Calls to tax the rich and close loopholes
Movements that say “no one is free until we all are”

Why do people hold a scarcity mindset?

Because:

They’ve been abandoned by the system
They’ve been told to “just work harder”
They feel invisible or unappreciated
They were taught to fear others getting ahead

And honestly? That pain is valid. But the target is wrong. The problem isn’t your neighbour’s slice. It’s the people hoarding whole pizzas in the back room.

Scarcity mindset as a self-fulfilling prophecy

What does that mean? It means: what you believe becomes what you vote for and ultimately what you accept. And if you believe “there’s not enough,” you’ll support policies that make that belief come true.

Here’s how that plays out:

You believe there isn’t enough to go around → So you oppose higher taxes for the wealthy, or expanded public services → But without those investments, public services get worse (longer wait times, understaffed schools)
You think people should “earn” everything → So you oppose things like debt relief, basic income, or free transit → But then you still end up paying full price while billionaires avoid taxes
You resent equity programs → So you support parties that slash DEI and social supports → But then your kid loses access to mental health care, your mom’s rent supplement disappears, and your job protections vanish

You’re not just watching systems erode; you’re helping it happen, because scarcity tells you that compassion is dangerous and sharing is loss.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The moment you start believing we all deserve care, safety, and dignity, you begin voting, speaking, and organizing for a future where no one is left behind.

Scarcity isolates. Solidarity builds power. And there is enough if we choose to share it.