How Critical Living At The Poverty Line Can Be

Living close to the poverty line and through welfare is not particularly considered “perfect life” but it is a possible way of life. By having the opportunity to play the Play Spent simulation, starting from a low-income job to earning minimum wage within a month while living from paycheck to paycheck, made me realize how critical living at the poverty line can be because your instinct for survival becomes crucial for making life decisions. With reference to the Single Story of people living in poverty that, there may be impossibilities of acquiring some basic needs such as complete absence of food, cloth, or shelter. While this may not be true because Play Spent made me understand that, if there’s a high sense of time and money management, then, the possibilities for those living in poverty to be able to acquire some basic needs for survival and still save money for the future can be assured. I also implemented the idea of “living within your means” with the rule of Spend less, save more” to progress throughout the month without struggle

.In regard to social sin, PlaySpent simulation made me understand how being at the poverty line can result in oppression and imposing great inequity on oneself. We may battle with our thoughts whether to do good or bad. It becomes crucial at some point to make unfair decisions just because of the societal crisis. If there are no enough better paid jobs in the society, those living in poverty will definitely do all they can to make money which may cause them to sin by being greedy. In reference to the PlaySpent, where I refused to call out for sick and went to work with the fear of losing money. What if I had died on the way? I could have caused my death. Which implies refusing to do the right thing at the right time. I should have gone to the hospital for treatment instead, I became money-greedy.

As I proceed throughout the month, my human dignity got affected since I made decisions against my will due to my oppressed mind and social manipulations. I suffered physical pain due to starvation since I bought few foodstuffs for the week which run out even before the week ended because of lack of money. I know it is mandatory for us to have the right to adequate standard of living so as not to violate our moral sense of survival and cause our death as a result of starvation. There was this day that I gave up my pet to the animal shelter because I refused to pay for the pet fee. If I had enough self-respect and a sense of responsibility, my moral values should have made me assumed responsibility of providing comfort for my pet. I bought the pet with the intention to take care of it adequately and not to give it out to any animal shelter due to my inability to afford the pet fee.

The choices made throughout the month, happened as a result of inadequate standard of living. It is the expectation of the society to give equal opportunities for everyone to enjoy quality lifestyles. However, living at the poverty line can violate one’s dignity while the rich may enjoy every bit their human dignities. Throughout the month, I didn’t experience equal dignity privileges with those having enough money to enjoy life to the fullest. Even though I made it throughout the month with excess money left I still felt my human dignity was affected due to some decisions I made which were against my will power.