What is the best way to pretend to relate to poor people?

Either attempt to understand the mentality of someone in that position or just don't approach the topic if you can't be honest about yourself. Pretending to relate is insulting.

If this is for work relations (which is the only thing I can think of that would make this question acceptable) then here is an example and what it's like to be moderately poor - the kind that you can easily hide...
Think of your favorite gadget. Is this something that you think is awesome but you know you don't really need? Now imagine you have a knock off of this item, because you can't afford the one you really wanted. Or better yet, you couldn't afford it at all, so just keep dreaming about it and go make money at a job you don't like so that you can kind of pay the bills, but only kind of.
Now, yo you really want your phone to work this week or do you want the heat to work (assuming this scenario is in winter). If you have heat you can't get that phone call about the job you want and applied for, and you can't play on the internet because it's only on your phone for now. But you also don't have to hear the collection calls this way, so that's nice. So heat, or phone? You pay the phone bill, throw on an extra sweater and check your bank account. -$10. Shit. Payday isn't for 3 days and you didn't get to go grocery shopping yet.... So you figure out what to do next. At least you have money on your bus pass and don't have to fill up a gas tank to get to work. That's a bonus.
And the stress continues. You get behind. Then a little ahead. Then you're doing alright. Then behind again because you have no idea how to manage money because no one ever taught you the right way, and so on.

But seriously, pretending to relate to poor people is insulting. Don't do that.

/r/AskReddit Thread