What would you say the percentage of each is in America, because I believe how individuals accurately or inaccurately characterize the typical 'person on welfare' or 'unemployed' tells a lot.
Work ethic/motivated + unemployed - lower income ?%
no work ethic/unmotivated + unemployed - lower income ?%
Work ethic/motivated + unemployed - middle income %?
Work ethic/motivated + employed - upper income %?
no work ethic/unmotivated - unemployed - upper income %?
What are your estimates of each - just ball park it.
Also, don't forget
no work ethic/unmotivated - employed - lower
no work ethic/unmotivated - employed - middle
no work ethic/unmotivated - employed - upper
Don't know - I actually don't concern myself with trying to peg people into percentage holes. . . you can if you wish. But all I know is what I see and have experience with.
I know a lot of poor people and they hold a huge variety of work ethics: Some are on welfare and other forms of support for a variety of reasons (lack of education has left them without work options, health problems, even their spouse leaving them has left them hung out to dry) My ex husband is a good example of those who are just being lazy, having no concern for not *being* poor and thus are on assistance.
Yet others aren't on assistance of any type and would like to be but don't qualify due to various issues (like my cousin - felons can't get welfare assistance post felony convictions - even if they do change).
Yet others do work, but would be considered poor if they really cared to analyze things like that, but don't *feel* poor. (like my neighbors down the street - I don't think they'd really care what others think nor do they feel *bad* about their lifestyle).
At the same time I also have the 'rich lazy folks' in my family - Grandma, her sister, and their two children, all live on the family estate - they're drug addicts and all in poor health - but very wealthy because someone *else* had very good work ethics and personal values.
:shrug:
Everyone's different: Some people couldn't care less about working or being self-supportive, others do.