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This is Real, That's Not

streetlifesolutions.blogspot.com

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Re: This is Real, That's Not

#61

Post by lisper »

will_pseudonym wrote: post #50
derekbreden wrote: post #8

I imagine it’s easier to go from middle/upper class to homeless and then bounce back, than it is to bounce back to a place you’ve never been. For my own homeless experiences (~5 years), I was able to jump back because of work history and experience that would not have existed if my life had started out otherwise. More cross-the-tracks experiences would undoubtedly make the world a more tolerant, understanding, and up…

For those who haven't experienced homelessness personally, doing volunteer (or paid) work for homeless shelters/outreach centers etc, or in mental health treatment centers, is one of the best ways to gain a fairly deep perspective, and get close to feeling what that perspective feels like, without actually walking a mile in those painful, broken shoes. My homeless experience was incredibly brief (4-5 months) compared…

If actually interacting with with homeless people takes you too far outside your comfort zone, I spent two years trying to get a homeless person off the street and made a movie about it:

http://graceofgodmovie.com/

So you can just watch that.

Re: This is Real, That's Not

#62

Post by AmericanChopper »

nullc wrote: post #53
eigen wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The top 1% earned an average of $515,371 while the annual income for the average taxpayer was $41,740. > The minimum net worth of the top 1% was roughly $10.4 million, according to Forbes. The top 10%, on the other hand, has a net worth of about $1.2 million. [ https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1212/average-net... ]

The discrepancy between $10.4 million net worth and $515k income (which I assume includes gains) confused me for a moment, until I realized that the $10.4 million figure likely includes at least one large non-income-producing piece of real-estate.

The top 1% net worth and the top 1% income are different things, and I’m pretty sure the linked source is only talking about the net worth group (though it’s not exactly clear). Net worth is not necessarily linked to your income in any given year, so I don’t think it’s especially surprising that the income for that group averages out to around 5% of their net worth.

Re: This is Real, That's Not

#63

Post by DoreenMichele »

will_pseudonym wrote: post #50
derekbreden wrote: post #8

I imagine it’s easier to go from middle/upper class to homeless and then bounce back, than it is to bounce back to a place you’ve never been. For my own homeless experiences (~5 years), I was able to jump back because of work history and experience that would not have existed if my life had started out otherwise. More cross-the-tracks experiences would undoubtedly make the world a more tolerant, understanding, and up…

For those who haven't experienced homelessness personally, doing volunteer (or paid) work for homeless shelters/outreach centers etc, or in mental health treatment centers, is one of the best ways to gain a fairly deep perspective, and get close to feeling what that perspective feels like, without actually walking a mile in those painful, broken shoes. My homeless experience was incredibly brief (4-5 months) compared…

Given that there is a pandemic on and volunteer work is problematic, I will add that I had a college class on Homelessness and Public Policy. The primary text for it was called "Tell them who I am."

It tells the stories of homeless women and was written by a man dying of cancer who decided to spend his last days doing something more meaningful to him than punching a clock.

Re: This is Real, That's Not

#64

Post by DoreenMichele »

lisper wrote: post #61
will_pseudonym wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For those who haven't experienced homelessness personally, doing volunteer (or paid) work for homeless shelters/outreach centers etc, or in mental health treatment centers, is one of the best ways to gain a fairly deep perspective, and get close to feeling what that perspective feels like, without actually walking a mile in those painful, broken shoes. My homeless experience was incredibly brief (4-5 months) compared…

If actually interacting with with homeless people takes you too far outside your comfort zone, I spent two years trying to get a homeless person off the street and made a movie about it: http://graceofgodmovie.com/ So you can just watch that.

Yes. This is a really excellent movie. I have seen it. I highly recommend it.

Re: This is Real, That's Not

#65

Post by grangerg »

akeck wrote: post #39
cleansingfire wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I hear "Money doesn't buy happiness" my internal response is always "but poverty can ensure misery"

Another one: "Money doesn't buy happiness - but it solves 99% of the problems that make you unhappy." - GSElevator on Twitter

Another one: "If money can't buy happiness, I guess I'll have to rent it." - Weird Al.

Re: This is Real, That's Not

#66

Post by galaxyLogic »

cleansingfire wrote: post #30
Swizec wrote: post #4

Fantastic read! Always remember that "money doesn't buy happiness" is the shibboleth for people who always had money. Bring that up next time someone says it. Fun reaction guaranteed. I like to follow it up with my favorite slavic saying: "Sure money won't make you happy, but crying in a Ferrari is much nicer than on the bus"

When I hear "Money doesn't buy happiness" my internal response is always "but poverty can ensure misery"

That is so true. And money does bring happiness for people who just got some of it when they previously had none. Rich people I believe are not very happy. But they would be very unhappy if they lost their money. Money is desperately needed by people who don't have it.

Re: This is Real, That's Not

#68

Post by lisper »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #64
lisper wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If actually interacting with with homeless people takes you too far outside your comfort zone, I spent two years trying to get a homeless person off the street and made a movie about it: http://graceofgodmovie.com/ So you can just watch that.

Yes. This is a really excellent movie. I have seen it. I highly recommend it.

Thanks, DM!

Re: This is Real, That's Not

#69

Post by AirMax98 »

Great read, thanks for sharing.

A couple years back I was admitted into a government rehab. At the time I was a fresh college grad, and I couldn’t help but feel that I was somehow smarter/better/more “upper class” than all of the other patients on the unit because of my upbringing. That is, even completely broke, strung out and institutionalized, I still felt as if I was somehow more “chosen” than anybody else. It took a lot of learning to realize that this attitude was a major part in what lead my drug addiction being unaddressed for so long that I wound up in such a gnarly place. That said, I am doing fine now, but I often think how the others I was with could possibly be doing.

Re: This is Real, That's Not

#70

Post by throwaway645674 »

Swizec wrote: post #4

Fantastic read! Always remember that "money doesn't buy happiness" is the shibboleth for people who always had money. Bring that up next time someone says it. Fun reaction guaranteed. I like to follow it up with my favorite slavic saying: "Sure money won't make you happy, but crying in a Ferrari is much nicer than on the bus"

Money doesn’t buy happiness, but lack of money is catastrophe. I think the focus should be on that. That’s the problem that we should and could actually fix with money.

Going from no money to some money is everything. From some money to a lot of money does not help anyone.

I always thought people who take issue with this saying never had a lot of money.

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