"Poor" and "Not poor"

How can you define poor? Well I have used the term before but only now do I realize I've never used it with care. I don't know how I myself define poor. For me, in the past, I guess, being poor is not having little money (How much is little, anyway?)
Liz: What is being poor?
Person 1: There're so many ways to tell. In the world, they have standards for it, like GDP per capital or average income level per person, if one has less money than average, he/she is poor. However, these rates vary among countries. (I did expect that she would say so because she's a knowledgeable HR manager so I asked for more insights)
The second time, she said: "If your demands for some certain important and basic needs are not met then you are definitely poor" (much easier to understand)
Person 2: Being poor is not being rich (Absolutely I don't agree)
Person 3: Having little money (Wow, I got the chance and I have to take it:"What is little?")
"Little" means the amount id not enough for a person to live a good life and to raise his/her family as well
Liz: Does a good life only mean prosperity in terms of material?
Person 3: Not really but mostly. If you don't have money, hardly you can be happy.
Liz: What about happiness? I can be poor and happy at the same time, can't I? I mean there are thousands of rich people out there in the world and they live in pain, sometimes they don't even realize that.
Person 3: Being rich doesn't necessarily make you a happy person. However, a happy person needs not to be poor.
Liz: ...

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Liz: Are you richer than you used to be? By richer, I mean having more money and live a wealthier life for it.
Person 3: Yes, I have (I knew the answer and the reason for it even before I asked)
Liz: Do you think it's a trend that people get richer, does everyone get richer.
Person 3: Most of us want that, dear. Yes, people have more money than in the past, but it doesn't always mean they are richer, you have to look at others to tell, you also have to look at the market to see with more money, can you buy more things. If everyone has more money then you're going nowhere.
Liz: What about the gap between the rich and the poor?
Person 3: I don't know. But one thing I know is that many, nowadays, is getting richer not for they have done good things but they commit crime, fraud, corruption, etc and there're more and more of those worms. We're going down. They are richer, we are poorer compared to them. And overall, even more are wealthier, our nation is worse off because of them.
Liz: (sad) ... (and mad)