Government corruption and the provision of inadequate schools is something individuals (or individual parents) can’t do much about, but they (or their parents) can do something about the others.
I try to keep to the simple idea that if you don’t have enough money to pay for what you must have, like food, shelter, clothing and electricity, you’re poor.
Haha! 
That’s a good point @Errless! They do end in the same place. So for you, it’s really just a matter of perspective and how you look at the things you have? 
I think that’s a more positive way to look at it. If you don’t mind me asking, I was just wondering what do you think are the factors that made your good friend poor? 
If it’s not all your fault, is there anyone else at fault? 
So many questions just popped into my head. Huhu.
Definitely! 
But sadly, it plays a significant part in our survival. 
Huhu. 
Hmmm. I think that’s what’s happening here too. The poor become poorer, and the rich become richer. Personally, I think the poor people are already at a disadvantage in this quest to beat the odds of the government. They don’t have enough resources to begin with. Huhu.
If you’re not able to do this, is your being poor all your fault then?
Haha. Yeah! That makes sense. But while you’re still alive, do you think it would be all a person’s fault if he wouldn’t have enough money to spend?
Wow thanks for this @TradeViper! I learned so much from reading this. 
I even had to look up some concepts since it’s the first time I’ve heard of abject poverty and calvinism (also Herschel House). 
Yeah. I think this is a description of the middle class. Not really poor, but not really rich either.
Personally, I think this is the case for my country. billions and billions going into the pockets of corrupt government officials here and zero funding for the farmers, teachers, etc. 
When I say this out loud, some of my family members just tell me to get used to it. “It’s always been like that. It will be like that.” What do you think? Well that’s just depressing. Huhu.
I agree. Some people use other “rags to riches” story to support this belief that if you work hard, you’re gonna overcome poverty. Although there are people who are really fortunate to be given this chance, majority still have to power through the reality that they’re gonna stay where they are and all they could do is live another day and survive. Hay.
Thank you for sharing about Calvinism Viper! Suuuuper interesting! It’s both genius and evil. I’m reading more about it now and I’ll probably share more about it with my friends once we bring up this issue again.
Yeah. I guess they’re people who were in a more privileged position and got the chance at an even better life.
Now I feel guilty about being sad for where I am right now since there are millions and millions of people who probably have it worse than me. Ughhhh. So frustrating that there’s really nothing I can do to help.
Go for it! Haha. I’m all set. Huhu.
That’s true. It makes sense. But when you think about it, we still have billionaires even if the country’s economy is plummeting. It’s like they’re just getting richer! Huhu.
Yeah. I’ve heard about that too. Not sure what I feel about it but I’m happy to know that the women seem to be enjoying their lives now. Filipinas in general are very caring too so I hope they’re living happy and lovely lives. 
Very interesting anecdotes too @Falstaff! Haha.
I mean, that’s gotta be a red flag? 
I’m wondering what he saw that made him stay.
Well, money has the power to change people. I just wish it’s worth it in the end?
Yeah. I think sometimes, if the circumstances and the odds seem to be conspiring against you, and you just let that get to you and you give up, you’re also a bit at fault.
I believe a truly motivated person can overcome a gigantic situational disadvantage, but yeah, there is still many factors that can screw someones life over regardless of how smart or hardworking they are.
I believe that is a psychological issue, because it is not a matter of “not being able” to do it, but thinking you are unable to do it, or not putting in the required time to do it.
And there are many ways to do it - good, honest poor people, for example, have turned to drug dealing to alleviate their poverty. Whether that makes the person or way to make money good or bad is a discussion for another topic.
Take a look at this article discussing how a poverty-stricken young man living in a township became a multi millionaire trading forex
Take a look for yourself the poverty I am putting into context.
It is all up to the individual.
Hi @ria_rose.
I was thinking about this topic earlier today. It is a beautiful autumn day here and we decided to spend it in the forests collecting some buckets of lingonberries for the winter months ahead:
But there are very few this year and I ended up, as usual, taking photos instead!
And I came across this little collection of toadstools and it struck me how much this illlustrated how the whole of the natural world strives to survive even when the odds are so stacked against them. The life force or survival instinct is so powerful no matter how rough our surroundings are or how limited resources there are:
These little guys, growing out of an old tree stump, were never going to grow into one of these handsome fellas that just happened to land in a patch of rich soil:
But, at the same time, if we don’t just dwell on the absolute poor for a minute, it makes one wonder is it really a good thing to move too far out of one’s comfort zone? And do we really know where our comfort zone is? Especially as it changes as we mature in years…
For example, we read regularly about the destroyed lives of people who win large amounts on lotteries. Should we really aim for more than we are comfortable with…
Hey BB, something I think I can speak to. Two alcoholic parents, after the divorce, when I was 16, my mother began to binge drink and not sleep and for days, she had several psychotic breaks, and my father lost his business and basically drank himself to death. If this would have happened to me in Mexico, I doubt very seriously my outcome would have been the same. Circumstances are what they are, and sometimes it just can’t be helped.
The Ever Dealing With Reality VIPER
Hey R. well what we know is that the oldest city that we can confirm as a city, walls etc is Uruk, settled in 4500 BCE. So from now to then, are humans better. I don’t mean better off technologically, medically, etc. I mean are humans including their leaders better people. Are they more caring, are they interested in their neighbors well being, are they more respectful, patient, generous, empathetic, responsible, etc.
It has been a loooooong time since that city was built, and humanity has had ample opportunity to get it’s act together, and still can’t. That’s what I think.
The Ever Throwing Starfish Back In The Water One At A Time VIPER
Good question, think of your rice farmers who work very, very hard, labouring all day in difficult conditions. Maybe they rise early in the morning and work till late at night. You and I know they will never be rich, maybe they will get an OK price, maybe one season will be better than an other. It is highly likely they will die poor. When they are old and their bodies give up on them they will become poor as they can no longer work.
In Italy they have a saying, “The clever man has weak legs and a strong bank account.” It basically means that if you work smart, you will get rich. Does the merchant who buys all the rice at low prices from the farmers then sells it on at inflated prices work harder than the farmer? Probably not. But he is doing the effective work of 50 farmers and is thus producing 50 times the revenue. How? He possibly borrows money from the land bank, buys the rice once a month from 15 farmers each season and at the end of 3 seasons has the rice of 50 farmers. He sells the rice at even bigger mark-ups to the shops and other outlets. He probably pays drivers and labourers to do all the ‘really hard work’, while he sits in his air-conditioned office, earning more than 50 farmers wages.
Moral of the story, hard work does not make you wealthy, but hard work coupled with smart work probably will. Sometimes even really smart work (or dumb luck) without any hard work even pays off. How hard is Forex trading and stock market investing really? How hard does Warren Buffet work compared to a rice farm labourer?
Use your most powerful muscle in your body, your brain.
Well said it is best to die poor but it is worst to live in poverty.
its a nice reply really than others, appreciate , poorness is a temporary state but poverty is a curse.
Let me also add this: too much desire for money can be bad for the soul/spirit. Especially if you’re already “comfortable” financially but desire even more. You don’t want to die being attached/addicted to anything on Earth otherwise your soul won’t find peace in the afterlife, if you believe theres an afterlife after death
Money is a great way to help yourself, your children, your children’s children, your elderly parents, the disadvantaged in your neighbourhood, medical research, improving education and aiding those in need of charitable aid across the globe. There is no reason to ever consider you have enough.
Harsh but a lot of the time, yes. If you have the opportunities but do not work hard enough.
