As an example, our studies of the so-called “poor” have made it evident that “poorness” is not just a financial condition, but that the really “poor” are poor in all areas of life: poor in friendships, poor in verbal skills, poor in education, poor in social amenities, poor in resources, poor in health, and poor in overall level of happiness. Poorness, then, can be seen as a quality characteristic of a limited self-image resulting in a paucity of resources.2 It is not a financial condition, but a level of consciousness.
