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Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

theatlantic.com

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Re: Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

#101

Post by nickpsecurity »

whiskers wrote: post #90
asimuvPR wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't really like to talk about it to avoid looking like a showoff, but I run a project to help those who want to learn computers and programming. Currently am preparing some space that was made available and getting some funds for raspberry pis. I share a similar story like you (poor, parents got me a c64 somehow) and want to pay it forward. If anybody is interested in learning more or provide feedback about how I…

I'd be happy to help you out here - I run a Pi based business and we could donate some equipment. My e-mail is in my profile.

Im curious about what exactly you do that can run all on Pi's plus any writeups you have on challenges and successes going all in. I often see people speculate about doing it but rarely actually do it.

Re: Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

#102

Post by mkstowegnv »

spo81rty wrote: post #17

I was born in a trailer park in Oklahoma. Lived in a 1 bedroom shack, and then lived with my grandparents until high school after my parents got divorced. I grew up very poor. But I loved computers, thanks to my dad having a Commodore 64. I excelled at math, loved computers, and went to DeVry to do computer programming. I was the first in my family to go to college. Started my first tech company at 22. With a lot of…

What if you are the only child who is not mentally ill in a family where both parent have chronic illness that requires constant care and neither of them has siblings? I don't read a lot of success stories about people who spent much of their lives as caregivers.

What if you are in a part of the world (read much of the world) where the only paths to success require seriously unethical behavior?

The right partner makes a huge difference, but what if you only meet a suitable partner late in life or you end up sucked into their or their family's problems?

If you have good health, you do not live in fear of criminals and militias, if you and your partner love each other unambiguously and have the time to really support and enjoy each other, and because of all those things you are able to achieve some measure of financial security, then you have what a tiny minority of human beings get to enjoy as a fleeting mirage, and only a vanishingly small minority get to enjoy for a significant fraction of their lives.

Most human beings can only "make" a small part of their luck.

Re: Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

#103

Post by [deleted] »

josh_carterPDX wrote: post #62

This makes so much sense to me. I came from a single parent home and watched my Mom work two jobs just to ensure my Brother and I didn't feel like we were poor, but we both knew we didn't have money. When I graduated high school I joined the Navy to get college money. I believe that through the journey of going through adversity, it has taught me to appreciate everything I've worked for. It also drives and motivates…

[deleted]

Re: Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

#104

Post by nickpsecurity »

nostrebored wrote: post #87
nommm-nommm wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You had interests that lead you to financial security and an ability to pursue said interests - that's just plain dumb luck. I'm not saying that you did not work hard, I'm sure you did. I am saying that plenty of people work just as hard but stay in poverty.

When you're poor and want to get out you choose interests that make you more wealthy. You choose majors in college that make you more money with better financial security. The starving artist routine is nearly entirely played out by middle to upper middle class people.

Heck no on thd last part. There's tons of poor and working class people that think they'll get rich with music or something. They get reinforcement from the media and pop artists themselves that brag about getting richer than everyone with just a song or two. I run into them all the time in my area.

Re: Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

#105

Post by hackuser »

microcolonel wrote: post #52
galfarragem wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To raise kids, money beyond a low threshold is not relevant, providing a good education is. Money, or better, social capital gets importance when these kids become young adults and have chosen career paths with less demand.

I've done well without "an education". I think it's probably more complex than that.

In a world of 7 billion people, there are always millions of exceptions. But it's beyond a doubt that there's a very strong relationship between education and economic success and personal happiness.

Re: Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

#106

Post by stretchwithme »

My identity project was not being poor.

So I was a cashier and a filed bank teller. I delivered newspapers. I washed cars and delivered tires and packages. I washed windows and cleaned doctors offices. Then eventually went to college and got into software development.

It baffles me when some people are surprised that its possible to work your way out of poverty. That's what most sane people do when they have the opportunity to do so.

Of course, if you have a culture that deters hard work and self development, that makes it a lot hard.

Its also harder when people say that environment determines the outcome instead of individual determination. The truth is its both, but telling people their effort is not what makes the difference is creating a environment that does not encourage the effort required to succeed. The idea that environment is everything can help ensure a bad environment prevents you from succeeding. And even the environment cannot be changed without individual effort.

Re: Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

#108

Post by WalterBright »

mkstowegnv wrote: post #102
spo81rty wrote: post #17

I was born in a trailer park in Oklahoma. Lived in a 1 bedroom shack, and then lived with my grandparents until high school after my parents got divorced. I grew up very poor. But I loved computers, thanks to my dad having a Commodore 64. I excelled at math, loved computers, and went to DeVry to do computer programming. I was the first in my family to go to college. Started my first tech company at 22. With a lot of…

What if you are the only child who is not mentally ill in a family where both parent have chronic illness that requires constant care and neither of them has siblings? I don't read a lot of success stories about people who spent much of their lives as caregivers. What if you are in a part of the world (read much of the world) where the only paths to success require seriously unethical behavior? The right partner make…

In other countries it may very well be different, but in America people mostly make their own luck.

As to working hard, that isn't what counts. It's making the right choices, i.e. working smart.

Sure, lots start out with many disadvantages and will have a tougher road. But if you're able-bodied, you do have choices.

Re: Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

#109

Post by hackuser »

stretchwithme wrote: post #106

My identity project was not being poor. So I was a cashier and a filed bank teller. I delivered newspapers. I washed cars and delivered tires and packages. I washed windows and cleaned doctors offices. Then eventually went to college and got into software development. It baffles me when some people are surprised that its possible to work your way out of poverty. That's what most sane people do when they have the oppo…

It's an interesting and often-repeated theory, but the data is overwhelming: People born in poor environments do much worse than those born in wealthier environments.

The massive difference in resources seems like a place to start. Compare the percentage of kids who get into college from poor urban public schools, where many kids aren't even functionally literate and classes lack books, and wealthy suburban public schools.

But whatever the cause, the bar is far too high in poor neighborhoods for most people to get over.

Re: Why Do Some Poor Kids Thrive?

#110

Post by nommm-nommm »

nathanasmith wrote: post #92
nommm-nommm wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a real lot of luck, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. I was very lucky. I didn't (and don't) work harder than my peers who didn't make it out of poverty, yet I did. Amount of effort isn't correlated with measures of financial security.

Yeah well, in everything I've done as far back as I can remember when I worked harder I got better results and when I slacked off, I got worse results. I'm thinking how hard you work has a little more to do with success than you give it credit for.

I grew up in poverty. I was poor and I only knew other poor kids until I was 18. When I first started associating with people who grew up middle and upper class I felt like I was in another very foreign world. I have plenty of childhood friends who did the "right" things (some went to college even) and work just as hard as I do but are still poor for various reasons.

Working hard doesn't, by default, lead to financial security.

Working hard can lead to financial security but there's a lot of luck involved as well. Not to mention planning - unless you count that as work.

Trust me I am not saying working hard doesn't lead of results or don't work hard. I am saying that poverty isn't synonymous with "lazy" or even "not working hard enough."

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