To be more tolerant of those less fortunate than yourself takes only the realization that most individuals are one illness, one accident, one job loss, or one financial mistake away from being one of the unfortunate people so often looked down upon.

That realization may not come easily if a person is generally healthy or is confident in the security of his or her job. It may not come if the person spends and saves wisely. But even those with millions in resources lost much of their financial security when banks failed and funds were embezzled.

Especially in times of economic problems such as we live in, going from living comfortably to wondering where your next meal is coming from can happen in practically an instant. Many people live from paycheck to paycheck without giving a thought to how they would survive if there was no paycheck. Our society does not emphasize frugality, wise spending, or living within our means. Even those who plan for possibilities may find themselves in dire straights within a short time.

Because of an illness, a job loss, or just sloppy financial management, many people have found themselves in the middle of foreclosure on their homes, having to sell possessions to pay the rent and buy food, or living in a shelter. Those “less fortunate” people may not have gotten where they are because they are lazy, crazy, or have an addiction.

One way to be more tolerant of those in unfortunate circumstances is to look at your own life and situation. Think about what might cause you to lose everything and become one of those individuals who live on the street or beg for money along the highway.

It cost me $500 for a used transmission for my car, and I was fortunate enough to have a brother who could fix the car. It might have cost as much as $1,000 to repair it if I had had to take the car to a shop. I live on a fixed income. There is no room for those kind of expenses in my budget.

A fairly simple surgery can cost up to $10,000. If a person has no insurance and requires medical care that is more serious and requires a long recovery time, where will the money come from to pay the bills?

The road to poverty and/or homelessness can be a slow ride. First, you may have an unexpected expense and have to delay paying a bill or two. Then, when things don’t get better right away, a person becomes dependent on late payments and juggling available funds until they may have to stop making some payments. Maybe it’s the utility bills that don’t get paid. Eventually, there are no utilities. If enough problems arise, the money for the house payment may go for gas to look for a job, or food for the kids.

Once the cycle starts, it is extremely difficult to break and dig out of the hole that sometimes only gets deeper and deeper. Before judging others who are unfortunate, think about the circumstances that could cause you to be in their shoes.