Choosing not to work?

[marty f]

I have a question that has baffled me for years, and with this recent oil price down fall it has come up again.

It has been said that many people would rather not work at all if they could not get the pay they wanted. I have actually seen this first hand, been told this when offering someone a job. "Id rather stay at home and do nothing then work for that" and Im talking a $20 hr starting job.

It blows my mind. But heres my question, how do these people live? how do they get by, how do they keep the lights on, pay the mortgage, put gas in their car, put food on the table? how ? how? I understand there is Gov assistants but is that system so fruitful one can turn down 20$ an hr

And its not just recently, Id have to say Ive seen this mentality for the last 15-20 yrs, I don't get it.

I have worked my entire life since I was 14, and even earlier on G dads farm. Id like to think Im a smart guy, not much boggles me. Im in aviation and we see ALOT of new tech all the time and I get it, but this whole living, getting by with out a job really does boggles me, Im dumbfounded by it, I cant wrap my mind around how you can "live" with out a job. Ive never had to use gov assistance so maybe I just don't understand how it works, how it can allow you to turn down good paying jobs.

Now Im not talking about retired peps, hell I hope to be retired or semi in 5 yrs, Im talking people in their 20s-30s. Maybe Im not seeing something

This really has bothered me for some time now, yrs and yrs, do you have an answer?