How To Stop Being Poor

Most of the people I know with “depression” are people who don’t have to work...they’re being supported by someone else. They have plenty of time to sit around and feel sorry for themselves. The person working two jobs, schlepping their kids around, cooking, cleaning, etc., etc., is usually not depressed because they don’t have time to be.

I tell you what, I have said to my liberal co-workers, "The way out of poverty is simple: get an education, work hard, don't have kids while in poverty, and don't do drugs. We could eradicate poverty in one generation if the poor would simply do that."

Another key aspect is to spend *less* than you earn. Even if one tries never to spend more than one earns, it's impossible to spend exactly what one earns on a sustained basis because spending requirements and earnings are not completely predictable. If one doesn't spend less than one earns during the times one is fortunate enough not to have any unexpected expenditures or temporary loss of earnings, one may be unable to avoid spending more than one earns during times of even mild misfortune.

Still, I think it might be interesting to have a class where students were invited to imagine that they were evil overlords who wanted to keep their subjects in a state of mollified dependency. Suggest that subjects be supported if they get too poor, but withdraw such support from any subject who seems to be working toward self-sufficiency. I think a lot of students would see how such behavior on the part on an overlord could be effective at keeping his subjects under control. One wouldn't have to mention, at first, that the kinds of things an evil overlord would do coincide very closely to the way many real-world welfare policies actually work; let students draw their own inferences.

Some who are depressed should get away from drugs and stay away from drugs. Others should teach themselves to disrespect gossips and maybe even start plotting a way out of a marriage with a harridan. There are always options. For the depressed, frequently take a little time to look at yourself and others around you, as though you are outside of the situation. Be as analytical and unemotional as possible.

Start your own business one way or another, sooner or later, and make them buy from you.

Been in similar straits before.

Same here. At 19, I moved out on my own. Could barely feed myself on my low paying minimum wage job. I rented a garage room from a woman with 4 kids on public assistance (welfare). That opened my eyes. 4 kids each from different men. She traded food stamps for booze. Welfare paid her rent, and the rent I paid was gravy for her. Then a friend had problems with abusive drunken parents and he came to share my room - he was 16 without a job so I covered the rent. We moved on within a half year, and things got steadily better. He got a job, I got a better job, and he moved on and became a cop (and still is one after 40 years). Put myself through college. I still remember those days when I only spent a dollar a week for lunch. Never took a penny in handouts.

Most of the people I know with “depression” are people who don’t have to work...they’re being supported by someone else.

I've noticed that, and it makes me pretty angry. I always fantasize about turning the garden hose on them and drenching them (and their video games) from head to toe. Then I'd say, "There! Now you're not depressed. Now you're MAD!" LOL...

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.