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Poverty does two things to us: limits our degrees of freedom (available choices) and diminishes our decision-making capacity (a famine/crisis response[1]). In e

Poverty does two things to us: limits our degrees of freedom (available choices) and diminishes our decision-making capacity (a famine/crisis response[1]). In extreme cases, poverty leads to sleep deprivation in which we cannot make even basic rational decisions. [1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20518805-scarcity https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20518805-scarcity

carapace 7y ago
I've been poor most of my life. I don't need to read a book to know that it sucks. I would say that wealth enhances life, not that poverty necessarily diminishes it. The OP's point stands: most people who choose to stay with their abuser are not starving and sleep-deprived to the point of being unable to even have a choice, eh? There's something else going on. (Are there no wealthy people who fail to leave abusers?) Anyhow, the question you raise in a sib comment is more important: how can we help victims of abuse choose (and succeed) to leave their abusers?
- jasondclinton 7y ago
  Thanks for sharing your perspective. As it happens, I also grew up poor. I found the book extremely interesting so I wouldn't discount it just because you had that experience.
  - carapace 7y ago
    Cheers! It looks pretty interesting. Just to be really clear, I'm not trying to say that poverty makes things harder, or course it does. Really all I want to point out is that even in the worst circumstances we still have the power to choose how we respond or react to them. But again, it's possible that circumstances are so bad that it becomes really difficult to make good decisions. I'm not trying to blame people for their circumstances, or bad fortune, or even their bad decisions (we all make mistakes.) I'm not really trying to blame anyone for anything. I believe that people are generally doing the best they can with what they've got.

carapace 7y ago

I've been poor most of my life. I don't need to read a book to know that it sucks. I would say that wealth enhances life, not that poverty necessarily diminishes it. The OP's point stands: most people who choose to stay with their abuser are not starving and sleep-deprived to the point of being unable to even have a choice, eh? There's something else going on. (Are there no wealthy people who fail to leave abusers?) Anyhow, the question you raise in a sib comment is more important: how can we help victims of abuse choose (and succeed) to leave their abusers?

jasondclinton 7y ago
Thanks for sharing your perspective. As it happens, I also grew up poor. I found the book extremely interesting so I wouldn't discount it just because you had that experience.
- carapace 7y ago
  Cheers! It looks pretty interesting. Just to be really clear, I'm not trying to say that poverty makes things harder, or course it does. Really all I want to point out is that even in the worst circumstances we still have the power to choose how we respond or react to them. But again, it's possible that circumstances are so bad that it becomes really difficult to make good decisions. I'm not trying to blame people for their circumstances, or bad fortune, or even their bad decisions (we all make mistakes.) I'm not really trying to blame anyone for anything. I believe that people are generally doing the best they can with what they've got.