So Bad About Being Poor By Charles Murray

What if I told you that a poor person living with very little might be happier than a millionaire that is living with everything they have ever wanted. Hard to believe right? Well in the article, “What’s So Bad About Being Poor?”, Charles Murray explains just why he believes this idea is true. He gives the audience many perspectives to think about and explains why material things are not always the most important things. Murray says, “Poverty is not equivalent to destitution. Being poor does not necessarily mean being malnourished or ill-clothed. It does not mean joylessness or despair.” In my opinion, the article has many strengths but also some weaknesses. One of the strengths in the article is that Murray makes you think of yourself in other people's situations. Also, he gives multiple examples of different …show more content…
It starts with Murray explaining his two requirements for constructing the following thought experiments. The first requirement is asking the reader to not have a reflexive assumptions and the second requirement is to avoid constructing an imaginary person. Throughout “What’s So Bad About Being Poor?” Murray shows two different versions of living. In the first lifestyle comparison Murray is making the audience think about having to live in Thailand with no electricity or running water, with little money each year, but a great environment. Compared to living in the United States with a free apartment, food, and many other things, but, there is a catch, you would be living in the Bronx or the outskirts of Los Angeles with horrible living environments. Murray explains how “The purpose of the first two versions of the thought experiment was to suggest a different perspective on one’s own priorities regarding the pursuit of happiness, and by extension to suggest that perhaps public policy ought to reflect a different set of priorities as