The real eye-opener was when I spent an afternoon helping a poor family a variety of ways. I was repairing their couch, a bit puzzled at the damage thereto but continued fixing it; when almost done, the early-teen girls came to me and asked for a large sheet of plastic. "Uh, don't think I have any...what do you need it for?" "We just tore out the screens in the bedroom." I don't know if that means anything to you, but I was startled at the notion that these kids were deliberately destroying their home. I realized, with plenty of confirmation in other poverty-assistance encounters, that much of poverty can be linked directly to ongoing patterns of self-destructive behavior.

Yes, many poor are there as a result of "not their fault" circumstances (abuse, IQ, financial/medical disaster, etc.). But many of them will overcome poverty precisely because, whatever their condition/situation, they still embody self-improving behavior. Yes, they need help/food/money, and I try to provide it as possible.

Now, with those points in mind, it's pretty obvious that if you give everyone the same wealth and income, some will squander it unto poverty, and others will make wise choices - with financial results reflecting their personal choices.