In response to Meghan - full post here
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes" -Obi-Wan Kenobi
I'm not calling you a Sith, I only used that quote because it's interesting and applies here. I would be cautious with absolutes. Remember that few things are absolutely black and white. As such, you ought not make such a sweeping generalization regarding human desires.
You said that no one wants to choose to be poor, and that no one wants to live paycheck to paycheck, and that everyone starts with a high goal. However, I think that, with a world population of over 7 billion people, you could find at least person who chose to be poor, at least one person who voluntarily lives paycheck to paycheck, and at least one person who started with a low goal or no goal at all.
It is likely the case that the majority of people do not choose poverty, or to live paycheck to paycheck - I am not sure about the high goals - so it would be fair to say that few people choose to do these things.
I also would be cautious about dealing out absolutes. As far as the idea of people choosing to be poor there are a number of examples to consider. Without doubt there are definitely people who, despite their best efforts, fall into poverty and/or remain there. There are also those who choose to live a simplistic life, for religious believes or other personal beliefs. There are then the individuals who simply abuse the opportunities that are presented to them. For example there are many stories of families in near by towns that have a low income job but instead of choosing to pay their rent, the money they obtain goes towards their Cable or internet bill. In many of these cases, these families rely and expect, state money to support them. So instead of trying to save up the money that they earn in order to secure a better future, it is often spent on unnecessary goods. It is simply another factor that might be considered before claiming that no one chooses to live paycheck to paycheck.
ReplyDelete