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by Raphmedia 2493 days ago
Growing up in total poverty, raised by a single mother who fought cancers and died twice on operating tables let me tell you one thing.

Money is nothing. Poverty won't make you unhappy.

Humans are good at finding new baselines. Poverty will simply become your new normal and the little things of life will still bring you joy. Seeing a loved one will still make you a smile. Life is worth living even without any ressources.
3 comments
10122018 2493 days ago
> Money is nothing. Poverty won't make you unhappy.

I'm sure the millions of people living in poverty, dying of treatable diseases and starving to death right now are ecstatic about it. Or are we just pretending those people don't exist?

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PhasmaFelis 2493 days ago
> Poverty won't make you unhappy.

I'm glad you and your family managed to beat the odds, but this is demonstrably false on a statistical level.

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Raphmedia 2493 days ago
From my experience, poverty do increase your sadness and make your life really harder. It yanks away a lot of control from you and your ability to exert your free will is reduced. It also comes with stress, especially in countries without social networks and safety nets.

It won't however make your positive moments any less important. You will be more likely to suffer from mental health issues but that's statistics and they don't represent daily life of people accurately.

If you are not suffering from something such as depression you will still find satisfaction from social encounters, from your community and your family. Unless living in a dangerous situation, your will still be able to feel content about your life. Love will still matter just as much.

That being said, this is my experience living below the poverty line in Canada where healthcare and social programs exists.

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christiansakai 2493 days ago
What do you mean by your mother died twice? Serious question
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Raphmedia 2493 days ago
One surgery had complications, they had to remove a large portion of her carotid artery during an emergency procedure. She was dead for a bit too long and suffered brain damage from it. The other time, she bleed out from a hysterectomy.
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