Your observations about choice are right on the money, too, dianavan. Without the perception that one has viable choices, one has no hope. Some people do not know the choices that are available to them. And in some situations, there are no viable choices, or the choices you have to make conflict with your values and erode your sense of self worth--like having to lie just to get the basic needs of your family met.

Self worth is hard toget, and even harder to keep when one is poor.