To understand the first half, it helps to acknowledge how strongly environment shapes outcomes. A single medical emergency can wipe out savings; the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has repeatedly documented how fees and high-cost credit products disproportionately harm low-income households (e.g., CFPB reports on payday lending and overdraft practices). Similarly, wage stagnation and housing costs can make even full-time work insufficient.
Because of these constraints, “fault” is often the wrong lens. The quote implicitly argues for compassion before judgment: you can do many things right and still end up short on rent, late on a bill, or unable to absorb an unexpected expense. [...]
