HA! I appreciate your perspective and comment. I'm nearly 3 years into wall street and, while on the lower end of the payscale, I KNOW that if I pursue the more ambitious high six, low seven figure lifestyle, I will have to 'play the game'.

People who claim they have no choice but to play the game have already decided they will tolerate it as much as possible.

One way to avoid poverty in that case would be to not buy a yacht, for example. Any amount of money is nearly poverty level if you spend it all on luxuries.

Edit: I am dumb and completely missed the joke. Poe's law in action!