Being poor is...

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Does making a list of stereotypes of poor people promote empathy?

On one hand it does bring up injustices in a "poor person's" reality and experience, but on some parts its designating them as dumb, dirty or criminal.

I dunno, having been poor that list made me want to cry. It was way too familiar.

One thing I can say right now; I may survive on student financial aid and food stamps, plus the few hours of work I can squeeze in each week, but I'm not poor. Not poor like I grew up with.

Some people get stuck in poor and they can't get out of it, or don't know how to take the risks that would get them out of it. The people I have seen get out of it aren't the ordinary kind of smart, either. Cordelia The Enucleator comes to mind.

"Enucleator"? 

She works at the eye bank.

Ah. Should have googled. 

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

A lot of those are highly relative. Even in rich, but very homogenous and conformist Norway, where probably 85% are part of the high-consuming middle class, it must hurt a lot as a parent when you can't afford to buy your kids all the stuff that "cool kids" are supposed to have, and you can't afford to pay the training fees for your kid's soccer team or for their school trips, but you still have food enough for everyone, and all the utility bills get paid in time. You lose out on a lot of opportunities to make friends and build networks, which is vital in a society where employees are often hired through contacts, and in the public sector, where jobs have to be advertised, job adverts are often tailor-made to fit people they've already decided should get the job.

You're 18?

Your last point about social networks and getting jobs is especially sharp.