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Lionel Leigo

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If you suddenly lost all of your sources of income, including your job, would you consider yourself poor?

Lets say a huge financial collapse occurs, and you lose all your sources of income, almost overnight, no-one is hiring, people everywhere in your country are in the same situation, the currency of your country is so inflated its virtually worthless.
Would you consider yourself poor?

Or do you have skills which would enable you to survive, perhaps even thrive?

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    Bharath Nagamuthu

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    Mar 8 2013: Everyone may advise different solutions but reality in such situation is more painful. Values we have earned in our life will help us to lead a rich life and a notable death.

    There are more poor people than rich people(in terms of income) so bad plan on income = a very bad life.

  • Mami Sakai

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    Mar 5 2013: to me, POOR is a lack of something in our own mind. if there is someone who has felt a lack of something; strong unrest or loneliness, I think we could consider him as a poor.
    i just want to say that I think the meaning of the word "POOR" is defined by each person or their environments.
    so I don't think this question is proposition. Or we have no clear answers about this.

    this question is difficult however it' s also valuable.

  • Gopinath Hiremagalur

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    Mar 1 2013: Poor is a very relative term of refernce. Nonetheless the subject does leave you questioning yourself as to whether you do have the skills to survive! I suppose after the intial realiziation of the new status quo one does enter the realms of introspection.

    Poor is not exactly the thought that crosses a mind thats comming to grips with a situation of worthlessness. The quest for survial overpowers logic, which in quick time transforms thoughts into emprical emotions.

    Poor is a perception that is quickly dealt with by every mind that is rich to change the narrative sooner than later.

  • Sultan saleh

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    Mar 1 2013: For me
    Poor + Poor = Surviving
    But
    Poor + Rich = VERY POOR
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    Victoria Miller

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    Feb 27 2013: Referencing the Great Depression?? Okay, I'll bite. I would consider myself freed. However, not all would feel the same, but my children are grown and have families of their own...so I will just consider myself and my husband. I believe we would feel a sense of freedom never thought of, due to the ability and experience to earn money. When I readTales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman, I felt a sudden urge to have the freedom you speak of. Check it out...
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      Krisztián Pintér 200+

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      TED Translator
      Feb 27 2013: freed from vaccination, schools, healthcare, heating, leisure time, cars, proper clothing. if this "new world" seems desirable to you, i certainly don't envy your current life.
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    Obey No1kinobe 50+

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    Feb 26 2013: I'd probably be richer than most the other 7 billion humans and most of those who lived before, but considerably poorer than I was previously.
    I guess its relative to what you compare it to.
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    Krisztián Pintér 200+

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    TED Translator
    Feb 26 2013: what kind of skills allow you to survive without food?
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    Pabitra Mukhopadhyay 30+

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    Feb 26 2013: I will consider myself broke, not poor. Poor is one does not only have resources, physical and intellectual, but has no hope for redemption.

  • George QT

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    Feb 25 2013: It depends on your definition of "poor"... to me poor is someone how doesn't have enough economic resources to fully cover his/her basic needs. So if I wouldn't be able to have access food and/or shelter I would consider myself poor... on the other hand, no matter what, as long as I can provide myself with enough food and shelter, I won't consider myself poor.

  • Barry Palmer 50+

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    Feb 24 2013: As you say, poor can mean several things. I might be financially poor and rich in love.

    Family and friends would cooperate, and we would survive.
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    Robert Winner 50+

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    Feb 24 2013: Way ahead of the game here. We garden, can, have water wells, animals, wind generators, etc ...

    That neither makes me rich or poor ... just capable of surviving.
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      Fritzie Reisner 100+

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      Feb 24 2013: What animals do you have, if I might ask? And wind generators!
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        Robert Winner 50+

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        Feb 24 2013: Bergey 10kW. Just a few animals ... pig or two ... chickens .... cow or two .. all dependent upon needs or projected needs and freezer space. Dog and cats are pets ... however one mean cat might be considered .. LOL

        Thanks for the reply. Bob.
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          Fritzie Reisner 100+

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          Feb 24 2013: I have always lived in cities and would not myself know how to care for or milk a cow. How wonderful that you have these skills.

          There are people in the city who keep chickens.
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        Robert Winner 50+

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        Feb 24 2013: I am certainly not a natrual. All of this is real work. But the wages and benefits are worth the effort.
        Just for the fun of try a herb garden that you can do in the house. I find it very calming.

        There are dude ranches and work farms that you could "summer" at to better appreciate the effort and hone some skills you may not know you have.

        Thanks for your reply.
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      Obey No1kinobe 50+

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      Feb 26 2013: Dont eat the cat

  • Ann Halwitt

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    Feb 24 2013: Poor is someone who gives up .You have the skills to what in the old terms is barter You provide a serivce to people to whom are in your position. And them make an agreement in payment, i.e.food. As d cameron in U.K and his cabinet say "WE are all in this together" HA! HA! HA! unless you have millions in the "BANK"
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    Juliette Zahn 50+

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    Feb 24 2013: We are never poor as long as we have each other.
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      Don Wesley 50+

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      Feb 24 2013: It is when you have nobody and live in a car
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        Juliette Zahn 50+

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        Feb 24 2013: Dear Don, So good to see you!! Happy new year !!

        I wrote "We are never poor as long as we have each other"..because according to the scenario presented by our friend Lionel in this question; "people everywhere in your country are in the same situation " ( jobless, penniless, currency is worthless, etc. etc......)......so I think he is trying to present what in his assumption maybe the most dire of dire situations.

        This means that we all have no money, and my answer to that is that as long as we have each other we have enough. Because when we have the ability to appreciate that we have each other, then we have the only thing that matters: our spirits.

        I think the only danger is our spiritual poverty, whether it is individual or collective.
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          Don Wesley 50+

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          Feb 25 2013: I had to take a moment to review your profile, and then I said, yes of course Juliette of Boston. It is great to hear you again. Spiritually God is only a blink away; that close.
          Without the family, we only have ourselves and that is so lonely. So I do blink away to Him very often.

          It is a very poor state of living when you have no one who needs you here on earth.
          I just want to be with God. But he tells me to go and find other poor souls who need a friend.
          During these very cold days it is not so easy. So I look to Ted to feel welcome; not always easy to chime in as the moderators tell us. Receiving such messages feels more like a sting, than a friend

          So my reply to Lionel, is "No." I am surviving now but it is cold outside.
          Hey Juliette, it is wonderful to see you. My sister, Eleanor Canepari lives in Waltham, but never writes or calls.
          Love
          Don
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        Juliette Zahn 50+

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        Mar 8 2013: Thank you Don. I appreciate your big "No" to Lionel's question. And your kind words to me♥

        I think the only way that one is poor when living in a car...is if one makes a permanent home of it for themselves.

        In other words, our circumstances change, ( and change is guaranteed by life) so it is what our spirit makes of it that determines our experience.

        Which "temporary" do we make "a permanent"?? This choice is ours.
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    Farokh Shahabi Nezhad 10+

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    Feb 23 2013: If the situation is the same for everyone, we just lower our class but not change positions.

    It really depends on the person, some people will do better in chaos or try harder and achieve more than before as the same time, some people lose hope and fail on difficult situations and just gives up.
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    Grace Greene 10+

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    Feb 23 2013: If everyone is poor, then no one is poor.

    I would survive.
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      Allan Macdougall 30+

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      Feb 23 2013: Nicely put!

    • George QT

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      Feb 25 2013: I do not agree. You are saying that if everybody is hungry then on one is hungry. That is obviously wrong. If everybody is poor then no one is rich!!!... Poor is someone how has trouble to solve his/her basic needs so making everybody poor doesn't solve the basic needs of everyone , as you state.
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    Lawren Jones 10+

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    Feb 23 2013: "Broke is a temporary condition, poor is a state of mind."

    -- Sir Richard Francis Burton
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      Kate Blake 50+

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      Feb 23 2013: Great quote thanks Lawren! I have been broke many times but never considered myself poor ...

      Poor itself has numerous definitions and financial status is just one!

    • George QT

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      Feb 25 2013: Broke is a temporary condition, I agree. Poor is a state of mind, I disagree, because poor is a state of you stomach (empty)!
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    Fritzie Reisner 100+

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    Feb 23 2013: I would only have skills to trade. I don't know how to farm and don't have land that is good for growing things that would make an adequate person-diet. I don't think I would consider myself poor, though. It depends how you define it.

    • Ann Halwitt

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      Feb 24 2013: You as all have plenty of un -used attributes its finding th right one
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