Why do some people live their lives like this?

I'm 17. For a few years, I used to live in a small town in the Midwest of 15,000. My relatives live there. I moved to a city on the west coast (thank god). So many people there don't do anything at all with their lives and I think it's sad.



Out of a high school graduating class, only a few end up going to a university. I know that someone doesn't have to go to college to make something out of their life but it's sad when out of that many high schoolers, only a few go to college.



I have two cousins that both intentionally got pregnant at 16/17. My 16 year old cousin got pregnant on purpose and dropped out of high school. She just had her baby and moved out of her parent's 2-story house and is now living in the projects/public housing with her boyfriend. She is going to get married soon with her parent's permission. My other cousin just had her baby and is already married.



TONS and TONS of girls that live there will get pregnant as a teen and get married very early. If they don't do that, they wait until they graduate high school and then immediately get married and have a baby and become a housewife - all at the age of 18. Plenty of 15 year old girls pushing baby strollers.



I even personally knew a few girls that dropped out of high school so that they could just sit around all day and whenever they need money, they sell their bodies. These girls openly talk about how they are prostitutes and how sometimes they have sex for hard drugs.



My exboyfriend was a freshman at a decent university in Chicago but he dropped out and moved back into his parent's basement and just recently got married even though he's only 19.



And no, I don't act like that.



Why do some people choose to live their lives like that? I don't understand it!Why do some people live their lives like this?
I honestly do not think this behavior is restricted to people living in the Midwest. ;)



I think that these kids lack family support and encouragement to make something of themselves. Most parents, including myself and my peers want our children to do better then we did.



I am not referring to material wealth. But finding a fulfilling career, be independent in a financial sense and make a contribution to society...those types of things. These kids do not have the reinforcement they need to succeed or the discipline.



My friend's daughter counsels teen girls and the current "cool thing" is to be a "hot momma". What they mean is to be very young with a baby.



So I think it really boils down to lack of support and encouragement and discipline. BTW by discipline I mean self directed discipline...the type the encourages working toward a goal, waiting for something.



Best of luck to you! It seems as if you have a good head on your shoulders! :)Why do some people live their lives like this?
I live in Canada and I know three or more girls - all close friends - who intentionally got pregnant at the same time. Their ages range from 16-20. It's so strange. They probably glamourized the idea of being a young mother and those girls don't really have plans for their future. So they most likely saw the present as the best time to start a family. But why they all got pregnant (on purpose) at the same time is a mystery to me... maybe they wanted their children to be the same age. :/