In 1963, 20 percent of Americans lived in poverty. Today it’s 2.3 percent.

From The Happiness Lottery by Rob Henderson.  

Many people would look at my hometown and focus on the poverty. Of which there is plenty. But the meaning of the word has changed.

 

As this article in The New Yorker puts it, “Today, taking advantage of the social safety net that the War on Poverty put in place—food stamps, Medicaid, and so on—is itself a sign of poverty.”

In the past, being poor meant being hungry. Today, being poor means being on food stamps.

 

In 1963, 20 percent of Americans lived in poverty. Today it’s 2.3 percent.

 

In low-income neighborhoods, the problem is not primarily economic.

I will never tire of highlighting this simple and profound finding:

Sociometric status (respect and admiration from peers) is more important for well-being than socioeconomic status.