Poverty: What is it?

Poverty: What is it?

They usually tell us that in order to be able solve a problem we need to define it. Poverty has long existed in many different ways. The main obstacle in terms of finding solutions stems from our inability to define what we mean by poverty. There is not a fit-all kind of solution and poverty can exist surrounded by abundance. Poverty is very often linked to our inability to exist in a certain kind of environment.

If we are trying to live in an environment in which only high-achievers will survive and we don’t have the physical and intellectual skills to succeed we are doomed to fail. This is the archetypical tragedy of Developed Economies. People from Developing Countries are constantly flocking into Developed Economies in search of opportunities not realizing that what they see as lack of opportunities in their countries of origin is their lack of physical and intellectual skills to succeed.

Slums are full of people who believe that they can succeed without making the necessary effort to succeed. They usually end up at the bottom of the pile, living in hell and dreaming about an impossible paradise. Poverty is not only the reality of not having enough to have decent living standards. Poverty is a state of mind. If you have to depend on Social Security to survive, you are in real trouble and getting up in the morning, rather than being the pleasure of enjoying another day, will feel like some kind of torture to be endured. Transitory solutions have become permanent realities. Welfare Dependency can destroy the most opulent economies.