The thesis seems way off. I fit the bill of the typical tech industry asshole (though I'm quite aware of my instinctive attitudes and have qualms about them) an

The thesis seems way off. I fit the bill of the typical tech industry asshole (though I'm quite aware of my instinctive attitudes and have qualms about them) and I've never even considered the possibility of becoming homeless. If anything I feel that no matter what happens in my life I'll be able to get some job somewhere. My pet argument is that "we" [1] don't understand the poor, the homeless, and the uneducated. I grew up in a leafy SV neighborhood, went to good schools, and literally never interacted with anyone from the lower half of the economic spectrum through HS. Even in college, my friends were middle class and above. We've largely grown up in stable homes with supportive parent(s) and think this is normal. Even when we read about the poor, we tend to try to forget it. It's like pushing stuff under the carpet or putting a lid on the unpleasant stuff. Earlier this year I volunteered at Junior Achievement and taught a few classes at a low income neighborhood in LA. This was literally my first in person encounter with a group of people from this socioeconomic segment. Having this exposure and interaction with them gave me a better sense of the good nature of the kids, the disadvantages they face, and how ridiculously lucky and privileged I have been throughout my life. With this understanding, I have a bit more empathy for the less fortunate. I understand that a lot of what they face is a matter of circumstance than laziness or delinquency. If our gentrification and socioeconomic satisfaction were not so pronounced, I suspect that we'd understand the less fortunate better and would no longer "hate the poor" as much as we do now. ---- It's hard though. Gentrification and being around like minded people is comfortable. It's pleasant. [1] I'm going to generalize by using "we" but obviously there will be exceptions among us. But I imagine at least 80% of us -- or at least the ones guilty of "hating the poor" mostly fit this description.