I think the cycle of poverty is very real for many. When you are a toddler, you look to the adults in your life to teach you everything.
For example, if parents use poor grammar, a child will most likely learn poor grammar. Then when that child is a teen and trying to get a job, he stands less chance of being hired than a child raised with parents who used proper grammar and taught their child how to present himself in a positive manner. Then, in addition to having more difficulty finding a job, that teen's self esteem starts to erode when he is rejected time and time again and the cycle continues. So, this teen decides he could never make it in college, after all he can't even find a good after school job, so he gives up and settles for whatever low paying job he can find. Then he'll become a parent and will be a role model to his children so they will follow his example and it starts all over.
This is obviously not the case with all poor people, but just one example. I think as a society we too often fail to take responsibility for our own actions and situations, but we also fail to show compassion and understanding and offer a helping hand to those who need it.
|