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I just read this article the other day and found it kind of interesting. Although I understand that being poor can be tough to come out of, I felt that the woman who wrote this article just felt sorry for herself. She basically said that she's poor and that's all she'll ever be. What kind of attitude is that? I find it really sad that she has this mindset.
I also don't understand why poor people keep having kids. It makes no sense to me.
It seems like this women is a hard worker.. after all, she works two jobs and goes to school. But she just seems so hopeless and it's really sad. What does everyone think?
I just read this article the other day and found it kind of interesting. Although I understand that being poor can be tough to come out of, I felt that the woman who wrote this article just felt sorry for herself. She basically said that she's poor and that's all she'll ever be. What kind of attitude is that? I find it really sad that she has this mindset.
I also don't understand why poor people keep having kids. It makes no sense to me.
It seems like this women is a hard worker.. after all, she works two jobs and goes to school. But she just seems so hopeless and it's really sad. What does everyone think?
"None of it matters. We don't plan long-term because if we do we'll just get our hearts broken. It's best not to hope. You just take what you can get as you spot it." - Linda Tirado
There's the problem. It's all about attitude. Life is what you make of it. It will get worse if you plan on it. People not only fail to plan but plan to fail. I have lived all three classes poor, middle and rich. I use to be homeless years ago but if I thought the way she did I wouldn't be as successful today. There is hope. There are so many resources out there...well SF isn't one of the most affordable places grant you but there are cheaper alternative places to go to. My sister was in a similar situation but she didn't give up because it Does Matter. Her kids matter enough to drive her to success. My advise no more self defeating thoughts and make changes to realistic goals to help you take each small step to the main objective.
I just read this article the other day and found it kind of interesting. Although I understand that being poor can be tough to come out of, I felt that the woman who wrote this article just felt sorry for herself. She basically said that she's poor and that's all she'll ever be. What kind of attitude is that? I find it really sad that she has this mindset.
I also don't understand why poor people keep having kids. It makes no sense to me.
It seems like this women is a hard worker.. after all, she works two jobs and goes to school. But she just seems so hopeless and it's really sad. What does everyone think?
I think you have to run your life according to your income rather than social directives. Also, for a lot of people, common sense is more valuable than the standard, academic intelligent, and the lack of that common sense can be devastating.
So true, but for most people perception is reality and for the poor, that perception is one of hopelessness. Combine that with the fact that the poor suffer disproportionately from clinical depression, perceived hopelessness is a fact of life. Just telling someone that some needs a change of attitude just isn't going to cut it, place a real and recognizable escape from poverty would go much further in changing those attitudes.
So true, but for most people perception is reality and for the poor, that perception is one of hopelessness. Combine that with the fact that the poor suffer disproportionately from clinical depression, perceived hopelessness is a fact of life. Just telling someone that some needs a change of attitude just isn't going to cut it, place a real and recognizable escape from poverty would go much further in changing those attitudes.
Well, you're right since some have never lived in all 3 classes the way I have. I was fortunately to experience them to know how to look at things differently. I wish everyone could experience the same to gain a better understanding from all sides. I hope she will find the hope she needs to succeed.
I wish everyone could experience the same to gain a better understanding from all sides. I hope she will find the hope she needs to succeed.
Unfortunately wishing doesn't cut it. Once while reporting on the arrest of three teenage kills for the murder of a cab driver I found myself talking with a young girl who was a neighbor of one of the girls. She looked at me and said that "you can never say that you won't do something that will send you to jail." Frankly, as much as I had reported on crime and inner city poverty I was stunned. I told this girl who couldn't have been more than 13 that by simply accepting the possibility that she was already halfway down the path to prison. But the reality of her everyday existence presented more opportunities to commit a crime than not. You can't change perceptions, until we change the realities.
Unfortunately wishing doesn't cut it. Once while reporting on the arrest of three teenage kills for the murder of a cab driver I found myself talking with a young girl who was a neighbor of one of the girls. She looked at me and said that "you can never say that you won't do something that will send you to jail." Frankly, as much as I had reported on crime and inner city poverty I was stunned. I told this girl who couldn't have been more than 13 that by simply accepting the possibility that she was already halfway down the path to prison. But the reality of her everyday existence presented more opportunities to commit a crime than not. You can't change perceptions, until we change the realities.
Life results are a reflection of choices we make. It's like smoking as a bad habit. If I did not quit back in 1999 no telling what my health would be like right now. (not that I would want to find out). I could have used every excuse in the book but I decided not to make that my reality. You probably heard for every action there's a reaction. (good or bad) One's actions can be productive or counter productive. You're right the reality we do create will reflect our perception on things. I lost 85 lbs after changing my life style which has changed my perception. I lift weights, do cardio and as a result have more energy and muscle gain. That's my reality but a good one at that. The good and bad realities.
I just read this article the other day and found it kind of interesting. Although I understand that being poor can be tough to come out of, I felt that the woman who wrote this article just felt sorry for herself. She basically said that she's poor and that's all she'll ever be. What kind of attitude is that? I find it really sad that she has this mindset.
I also don't understand why poor people keep having kids. It makes no sense to me.
It seems like this women is a hard worker.. after all, she works two jobs and goes to school. But she just seems so hopeless and it's really sad. What does everyone think?
Poverty in itself causes sadness, low self esteem and even serious depression. It's easy to see why it's difficult for poor people to bootstrap up. A lifetime of living in a crap area, having no money while being surrounded by so much seemingly unattainable wealth which is needlessly rubbed in your face will destroy most people's spirit over time.
It's particularly bad for America's urban poor. They are trapped in depressing inner city ghettos with little access to nature. Many such ghettos are dangerous. You can't do much without money in this country. What is there to do for free or for little money in an inner city? At least in other developed countries there's better public transportation and less economic segregation.
Poor people have kids because they are people like anyone else and still have the natural urge to procreate.
"None of it matters. We don't plan long-term because if we do we'll just get our hearts broken. It's best not to hope. You just take what you can get as you spot it." - Linda Tirado
There's the problem. It's all about attitude. Life is what you make of it. It will get worse if you plan on it. People not only fail to plan but plan to fail. I have lived all three classes poor, middle and rich. I use to be homeless years ago but if I thought the way she did I wouldn't be as successful today. There is hope. There are so many resources out there...well SF isn't one of the most affordable places grant you but there are cheaper alternative places to go to. My sister was in a similar situation but she didn't give up because it Does Matter. Her kids matter enough to drive her to success. My advise no more self defeating thoughts and make changes to realistic goals to help you take each small step to the main objective.
Having grown up poor, I agree with you. Everybody makes poor decisions in their lives. Everybody has bad things happen to them through no fault of their own. Poor people who "make it" don't let mistakes or bad luck keep them from trying to better themselves. They have optimistic, "the glass is half full", views of the world and tend to think long term.
Almost invariably, poor people who remain poor and pass their poverty on to their children have pessimistic, negative, almost fatalistic, views of the world. They can't see themselves as successful, so they don't try, passing on opportunities because they have to leave their comfort zones. When life deals them one bad blow, they curl up into a fetal position and wait for the next one they know will follow. They give in rather than fight back. That's the author's attitude, and on one level, it seems like a lot of excuse-making to me, but I don't think it's deliberate, and I don't think it's something that the author can change. I think that people are "wired" to be pessimists/optimists or fighters/accepters just as they "wired" to be lots of other things, and, unfortunately, it's not something one can change.
Unfortunately wishing doesn't cut it. Once while reporting on the arrest of three teenage kills for the murder of a cab driver I found myself talking with a young girl who was a neighbor of one of the girls. She looked at me and said that "you can never say that you won't do something that will send you to jail." Frankly, as much as I had reported on crime and inner city poverty I was stunned. I told this girl who couldn't have been more than 13 that by simply accepting the possibility that she was already halfway down the path to prison. But the reality of her everyday existence presented more opportunities to commit a crime than not. You can't change perceptions, until we change the realities.
I agree with this as I work with children from poor communities and see it all the time. Yes, one may get an opportunity to crawl out of it and take it but most are only seeing what surrounds them the most. Communities of poor, with depressed mindsets, and lessons taught by peers are not conducive to climbing out of the ghetto. Parents for the most part have given up on options. It's about surviving one day at a time. And taking whatever you can get. The world seems very small and the meaning of it is
very short sided. When you are hungry, and or abused you don't dream of escaping it through the long path of education and hard work, you dream of escaping it on a daily basis however you can. Long term goals are more difficult when you are poor. They do have more opportunities to commit crime than good education, good health, and most of all a good environment. It is a very, very difficult place to escape from, mentally and physically. IMO, of course.
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