Then you should understand that you cannot determine what an intelligent action is relative to a situation based on a generalization of many people with little information on the specifics. While I've never been in a position where I've had to steal and doubt the claims of most who say they have... I can imagine such a situation. I also understand that many people do not make intelligent decisions because they have never been taught how by anyone... and oftentimes they live in environments that teach just the opposite. There is the simple problem of long-term short-term. True, long-term goals and actions taking them into account are usually smarter... but they depend upon a short-term situation that can maintain until the time comes for a plan's fruition. It's at times hard to determine when which type of thinking is correct, especially when your short-term resources are questionable. For every person who succeeds on a wild chance... many fail. Not worth it when you have nothing to gamble with.
Otherwise intelligent people tend to take things for granted. You and I know how to look for a job and what to do to acquire one. This presumes an education in how, whether formal or informal... and an environment where jobs are available.
Most poverty can and should be temporary, but without a way to sustain diminishing resources during that time, there's a lot to make up and depending on the instability of an environment , your age, and your previous experience... it can require more intelligence to pull yourself out than can be expected from a regular human being. And sometimes it may require miracles.
My belief is that we should count our blessingss and our smart moves rather than the flaws and mistakes of others. Because we screw up sometimes too.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside