This is probably very different from person to person. Most of the poor people I know personally are hard-working, intelligent people, and are not poor because

This is probably very different from person to person. Most of the poor people I know personally are hard-working, intelligent people, and are not poor because they screwed some important thing up. It's just circumstances/family obligations, and not any personal failing. I'm also aware of a couple of people who appeared to have a reasonable shot at a stable life with some level of wealth, but they seemed determined to squander it, maybe due to mental/emotional trouble and addiction. I'd like to see society change so that we afford more respect, stability, and comfort to the least fortunate among us, but where this fits into a discussion about personal choices is a contentious issue.