The phrase “to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” is a common phrase in American Mythology. The original saying meant to do the impossible. But it has changed over time from its original meaning to more modern view of the phrase, to mean improving your life position by hard work, life choices and self-determination. As the haratio alger books describe it: “pluck.”
Both rich and poor use the phrase with different meanings. Either to do the impossible given the hurdles in society, or to work hard and make something out of nothing.
The orignal phrase meant: “The task is impossible.” It originated as a joke from a physics teacher during the 1880, to explain why is literally impossible to pull yourself up. There is no counter force or resistance force to help you put on a shoe, so the task is impossible.
To pull yourself up by your own bootstraps started as a joke on society during the 1900-1920s and especially during the depression when people struggled to buy shoes.
The phrase was used by poor workers to sarcastically mock rich people during the early 20th century. Poor people’s shoes did not have bootstraps since the extra leather was a luxury that only expensive boots had at the time. The phase suggested that poor people should do the impossible and not be poor. And society(namely, the rich) should do nothing to help.
Later, the phase came to mean improving yourself by your own initiative. It was used by successful people to ask why the poor remained poor. Pulling yourself up…” is the American dream.
Note: Bootstraps are a relatively modern invention in the life of shoes. Boots did not have bootstraps until after about 1860.
Either way you look at the phrase, it has meaning.