OK, I've always felt weird thinking this because whenever I've ever mentioned it, other people always think I'm an idiot.

My life is amazing. If it gets really horrible, I think I can handle it because I see so many examples of other people handling it. I saw some comments of people's attempts on the web to follow super-cheap diets as an experiment. Other people wrote comments about how those people were wasting money by buying organic eggs, not buying and pre-soaking beans instead of buying canned beans, etc. Yeah, if necessary, I think I can do that. I lived a whole summer on instant noodles once. I think I can do it again.

OK, move to the next level. I see people making less than $1000 USD per month in China and still able to raise a kid. They eat rice and veggies every day, living costs can be low if you want them to be. Yeah, I think I can do that. My wife prefers to be mostly vegetarian, so I'm halfway there. Most dinners, we literally only eat some leafy greens and cabbage, and maybe some rice.

OK, move to the next level, I volunteered in villages where living standards are super low. Sanitation can suck. But they make it work. If they can do it, why can't I? I've done it for a short-term period before. Can I do it for a long-term period? If I'm forced to, why not?

OK, move to the next level. War, genocide, torture, the works. Many people don't survive that stuff. Some do. How the heck do I look at what they go through and think that my life sucks and there's no hope for the future? I am endowed with a great education, a job that pays my bills, and self-confidence that I can make it in any situation and any environment, no matter how bad it gets.

So two things here. First, everything is a matter of perspective. I don't know why people think I'm an idiot for thinking my life would be great even if I was forced to take a crap in a hole in the dirt where there's no plumbing. If they can do it and still be able to laugh and be happy, why can't I?

Second, I think the environment thing is huge. I can understand why people who are stuck in certain environments can never get the mindset necessary to escape it. Inner city gang problems, extreme poverty, etc, etc. There is some systemic crap in society that really stops people from realizing their potential and getting the confidence to even step outside their comfort zone. I don't know the answer to that, and smarter minds than me have tried to figure it out.

Loneliness is a thing too. How the heck did we get from the place where it's great to know your neighbours to neighbours don't want to know each other, as others are commenting? Why is it so hard for people to make friends, mate, etc? I get there are hard issues in our society that people haven't been able to figure out.

BUT... I've always thought to myself, "eh, could be worse" and I've always joked with other people, "hey, I'm still alive!" And people think I'm an idiot for considering that I'd be OK taking a crap in a hole in the dirt with no plumbing. In the meantime, I get really annoyed when people talk about their first world problems. Yes, I can be hypocritical about this too, of course. I have my own first world problems like wishing I could find a job I enjoy more. Life goes on.