Is Poverty a Choice?

Poverty comes in many forms. And, there are many reasons for poverty. Some people fall into poverty because of lack of education, or lack of opportunities. Others are forced into poverty because of disabilities. There are a very small number of people who, yes, choose to become poor, and choose to stay poor, and are fully aware of what they're doing. The people of Southie are good example of a group of people who may appear to outsiders to be "choosing" their poverty. It looks like they're not trying. But it appears to me that a lot of the people in Southie and in other areas like it don't even really know what they're doing. They don't think of themselves as "poor", and they're not ready to accept that status. They turn their heads away from what ius going on around them and continue to label their neighborhood as "the best place in the world". Who would want to leave the best place in the world?
I think that this mindset is fairly common, especially in white working class neighborhoods like Southie. Most people don't choose poverty. If they appear to do so, it's probably because they don't think of themselves as in poverty.
The thing about getting out of poverty is that it means first acknowledging that you're lower on the ladder than almost everyone else, and that can be a pretty tough thing to do for a lot of people.