Not long ago-incredible though it may seem- I heard a clerk of Oxford declare that he 'welcomed' the proximity of mass-production robot factories, and the roar of self-obstructive traffic, because it brought his university into 'contact with real life.' He may have meant that the way men were living and working in the twentieth century was increasing in barbarity at an alarming rate, and that the loud demonstration of this in the streets of Oxford might serve as a warning that it is not possible to preserve for long an oasis of sanity in a desert of unreason by mere fences, without actual offensive action (practical and intellectual). I fear he did not. In any case the expression 'real life' in this context seems to fall short of academic standards. The notion that motor-cars are more 'alive' than, say, centaurs or dragons is curious; that they are more 'real' than, say, horses is pathetically absurd. How real, how startlingly alive is a factory chimney compared with an elm tree: poor obsolete thing, insubstantial dream of an escapist! .J.r.r. Tolkien
About This Quote
When one is in, or near, a place where the majority of the population is poor, one must struggle to make ends meet. However, to be in poverty does not mean that one should accept it. This is because to survive in poverty means that one must use every resource available. This includes knowledge about how to get one’s needs met and how to find ways to do so.
Thus, the person must use what he or she knows about the world and be able to apply it to their current situation. Going back to Oxford, if you are in college there are many opportunities for students to learn about the world outside of college. Furthermore, if you want to get out of poverty you can get a job at one of the factories or farms around town.
Source: Tree And Leaf: Includes Mythopoeia And The Homecoming Of Beorhtnoth
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