do you think youre better than a homeless person?

That is very feel-good of you, but being able to provide a home for your family matters. I have kids in my class who are sleeping in their car because their father can't provide a home for them.

To them, it matters a lot.

 

I agree with you. For instance, I might be a better builder than you, thus making me better in that aspect...but you might be a better painter than me, so you are better in that aspect.

In the end, we're all pretty equal...we just live different lives

 

You've probably also met kids that live in wonderful, huge homes with all the luxuries they could ever dream of, but who get absolutely no attention or love from their parents. Perhaps may even have been neglected.

There are probably also plenty of kids that live with foster parents because their dad didn't want them to live in a car. That's also kind of touchy.

I think what the person you quoted meant was that there are ups and downs to absolutely everything - and what is "up" to one person doesn't matter since it could be a "down" to somebody else. It's all perspective.

My little brothers have been without a home in the past (not on the street, though), but they'd much prefer their current situation to ending up in our state-run foster institution. They went through a tough time but it was only temporary and not much more difficult than what other kids their age are dealing with. What is beauty if you've never seen ugliness? That's just one situation though, and definitely not a very severe one. Which is, again, why I do not believe that the "homeless" can be lumped into one category.

 

I don't think I'm better. I think I'm luckier, But not better.

I think of every human as an equal to each other. I am no better than you and you are no better than me. We're equals.

 

the dad might be unable to provide for his kids because he is irresponsible, or just doesn't care enough to try.

there could be circumstances that made him that way

consider all of the vietnam vets that ended up homeless, addicted, mentally and physically ill

you could say it's their fault, because they decided to go to war, and that's their karma. you could say, they decided to get involved with drugs while they were in 'nam, so it's their fault

you could also say, they were traumatized by the stress of fighting, killing, not knowing whether or not they were going to die any minute. maybe exposed to agent orange, seeing their friends die, etc. it's no surprise then that many turned to drugs or alcohol to cope. it's no surprise then that many ended up homeless.

I'm not saying that it's not possible that someone could have some responsibility for their circumstances, but other times, I think it is not always in someone's control. If life throws a strong enough shit-storm at anyone, they'll break down.

I urge you to consider that there are people who think just the way that you do who have ended up homeless.

 

Yes, parents can be bad in other ways than in not providing basic housing to their children. I am not saying providing a house makes you a good parent - I am saying that not providing housing to your children makes you a bad parent.

If your choices are to have your kid live in a car or send them to foster care, you have already completely shit the bed in parenthood.

In the educational circles we call a student that has no home "living in crisis" or a "student at risk". Living this way is a huge risk factor for not finishing school, being incarcerated, becoming addicted to alcohol or drugs, becoming involved with the sex trade, being abused, becoming ill, poor academic performance.

Perspective or not, this is a terrible place to be as a child through no fault of your own. And putting your kids in this spot makes you a shitty parent.

The question isn't whether being homeless is better than foster care. The question is whether being homeless for a child isn't worse for them then the parent providing a home.

 

Some people are definitely better than others, homeless or not. What makes one person better than another is how they treat other people.

Since we're talking about homeless people, Ill use them as an example.
There are two homeless men with families and they are both living under the same conditions. One of the homeless men is loving, kind, and provides for his family and the other is abusive, mean, and thinks only of himself. Obviously, the man who is loving, kind, and provides for his family is a better person than the other man.

 

You could be grossing $200K a year and walk up to a homeless person. Are you instantly better then them because the homeless person had shit himself and is begging for your change?

And what if that homeless person was actually a doctor in the military but PTSD took him through the wringer causing him to lose his job, family, house, and life? Does it mean you are better than him?

People will always be better than each other in different aspects...but to say a single person is overall better than another person doesn't make sense...

 

I'm better than some and worse than some...probably equal to a few.

 

This is a straw man argument. Nobody is saying this.

Really? You don't think Gandhi was better than Hitler? Hitler was a more talented artist than Gandhi - does that make up for slaughtering a race of people?

 

I think the problem is how the question was posed. Simply, being "better" than anyone, is subjective. The question poses an evaluation of a man based upon his living situation.

These arguments are about what has caused the man to become homeless, and that is where conclusions about "being better than" can be drawn.

 

of course i'm better than them.

 

I think the idea was to ask, "are you better than a homeless person" as in the requirement for being better than is the sole fact that they are homeless and we are not.

 

The amount of money a person makes, or whether or not they shit themselves and are begging for change, or have been put through the "wringer" makes no difference to me. I don't think I'm better than someone because of how many possessions they have or what they look or smell like. I said, the only thing that makes one person better than another is a person's character and how they treat others.

 

Exactly.

 

I said it as an example of people who do make more money and have different skills in different areas. And how someone treats other people makes a big difference too

 

I think I'm better than people who live in split level duplexes.

 

i think i'm better than someone who thinks nobody is better than anyone else.

 

What a loaded question this one is.

It is very relevant why the person is homeless as well.

Blanket statement is that no one is better and by luck and planning those who are not homeless remain so. That those who are at some point are able to get off the streets and have a home again.

Many who are homeless are without options for a great many reasons.

The real question is in today's society and in the countries we are all mainly from, why we still have homeless people.

 

define "home"