Victoria / Suriname 
Do you think poor people are happier than rich people?
Hello, I'm Victoria and I'm from Suriname. My question is, do you think poor people are happier than rich people?
I believe this is a very difficult question to answer because the question contains some generalizations. Poor people, and rich people are lumped together here, and they are compared as a group, which I think is not entirely accurate because you have different types of poor people. You have poor people that are content with what they have or don't have, and when you are content, it contributes to your happiness.
Whereas there are poor people that are not happy with their circumstances, understandably so, because let's take for example, people who live in famine-stricken areas or areas with natural disasters that have robbed them of everything they have, their homes, their livelihood, their security, healthcare. I mean, it is understandable that people become unhappy if they have to suffer.
On the other hand, you have rich people. I think there are a number of types of rich people. You have rich people that are never satisfied, keep chasing more and more and more, and those people tend to be unhappy. Whereas there might be rich people who have purpose and are content with what they have, which contributes to their happiness. So I think it really depends on what type of poor people are being compared to what type of rich people.
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generalization
Meaning: Statements or ideas that group all people or things into a single category, often oversimplifying the truth.
Examples:
- Saying all teenagers are lazy is a generalization that isn’t true.
- We should avoid making generalizations about people based on where they’re from.
lumped together
Meaning: Grouped into one category without considering differences.
Examples:
- All the complaints were lumped together and handled the same way.
- It’s unfair to lump together all students as either good or bad at math.
content
Meaning: Satisfied and happy with what you have.
Examples:
- She feels content living in a small, quiet village.
- Being content with your life doesn’t mean you can’t work toward new goals.
famine-stricken
Meaning: Severely affected by a lack of food.
Examples:
- The famine-stricken village received aid from international organizations.
- Many families in famine-stricken areas struggle to survive each day.
robbed
Meaning: Taken away by force or circumstance.
Examples:
- The earthquake robbed many families of their homes and belongings.
- She felt robbed of her happiness after losing her job.
livelihood
Meaning: The way someone earns money or resources to live.
Examples:
- Fishing is the main livelihood for people in this coastal village.
- The storm destroyed crops, affecting the farmers’ livelihoods.
Vocabulary Quiz
stricken • robbed • livelihood
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