I think you have hit on the difference between real hardship and simply being poor. Hardship can happen at any economic level. We weren't poor, but all of us ki

I think you have hit on the difference between real hardship and simply being poor. Hardship can happen at any economic level. We weren't poor, but all of us kids were abused in my family. I got the worst of it, so I hit bottom first. But I bounced back quicker than my siblings, all of whom ended up dealing with drugs, alcohol problems, social problems, abusive relationships (they caused, and were afflicted by), and they are all in their 30s and 40s now. I really wanted a peaceful childhood, but even today I struggle with the affects of it. Chores to us were more like punishment. When you knew you were going to get beaten, who can care if the house is clean? We would get beat whether we tried hard or not, so why try hard, better to try and have fun when you can... which is recipe for disaster and failure in adulthood.