The real wisdom here isn't about pretending poverty doesn't matter—it's about reclaiming your labor from desperation. When you work as though survival weren't at stake, you suddenly have the freedom to say no to degrading tasks, to take risks on better ideas, to care about quality rather than mere output. A carpenter who works this way might refuse a quick, shoddy job even if money is tight, discovering that his reputation—and eventual prosperity—depend on standards he sets for himself, not on what hunger demands. Paige, who played baseball in an era of real material hardship, understood that dignity itself is a luxury the desperate cannot afford, and that earning it back requires acting as though you already possess it.