I don't know. Tasting failure, working to avoid is different from lacking food, shelter, or clothing. As an adult, I know I'm more likely to take risks if I know that, for instance, gambling on this job won't kill me. And taste too much failure, and you hit learned helplessness. Like the girl who was chewing gum was experiencing:

> “She said: ‘I’m trying so hard to just grow up. But nothing ever changes!’ And I said: ‘Do you know what does change? You didn’t have a baby attack in front of the other kids, and two weeks ago, you would have.’ ”

That's the teacher being encouraging, lessening the failure the kid is experiencing. Because people's pride in themselves is a sufficient motivator to change their lives positively, without risking starvation.