With the obvious exception of trafficked girls or girls coerced into the trade by vicious pimps I've always thought that  whores who stay in the trade for years were born not made. thoughts?

Human beings, men and women alike, come in too many molds.  I believe if the economic opportunities with the same pay were available, most of the women who sell their bodies would gladly give it up to work in a more socially accepted occupation.

being an escort is not the same as being addicted to a drug.

I'm going to go with made, i.e. forged in a sad cauldron of years of misbegotten attempts to foster real relationships with other humans. Rather like the one ring was forged in the fires of Mordor, and equally indestructible, but way, way more pathetic

Calling somebody a troll is like a kid saying Fuck You. It means you have no argument and no means of answering the question.

to questions asked, not for the purpose of illumination, but merely to elicit vitriolic responses, upon reading which the troll who asks said questions becomes jizzmodic. Clear enough?

What we have so far on this thread is ignorant posts, articulately presented.  The bottom line is that no one of us knows, but we all bring aggressive opinions, ideology, puritanical morals, and more to the table and come up with doctrinaire answers, all sadly lacking.  For me, evolutionary psychology/biology points the most plausible way toward sound explanations.  I've met quite a few play for pay women in my years but they run the gamut and defy generalization.  Some would say that that long history makes me a monger, but I'm not.  Anyway, for the time being, let providers who say they are happy in their work enjoy their fun and prosperity without making them feel they are the dregs.  Let others who scorn providers some day recognize that it takes special talent to be really good at it, and that is neither inborn nor made.  For the good ones, it is a conscious choice with a fairly realistic grasp of the downsides, and long may they prosper.

I think the word you were going for was asshole and somehow you were kind enough to say troll.

The OP s post is a reflection of his miserable life.
What a waste of space

I don't believe that any prostitute decided at age XX that this was their life's goal.  However as you are aware, perhaps more than many here, prostitution becomes the vehicle so a woman can survive.

never a word in anger, I just calls 'em as I see 'em.

Not so hard to post a coherent mature response to a post rather than immature adolescent name-calling just because one doesn't like the personality of the poster, is it?

Because, SF, there is no reasoning with OTM. He cannot comprehend mature, rational, composed thought, etc. When have you ever seen him post anything worthwhile? He does enough name calling to earn a bit back.

and you wouldn't want to insult your friends, now would you?

Carpenters? Plumbers? Drywall hangers? Morticians? Bankers? Mechanics? Attorneys? Accountants? Stockbrokers? Realtors? Salespeople? Doctors? Teachers? Truck drivers?......

Although I am hardly in a position to know any of what you just said first hand. I was about to set him straight on those very same points.

Nor should you put up with any crap you don't want to, afterall, it is your money and you expect to get what you pay for, nothing wrong with that. And if you can get what you want and need without hoops, go for it! My only contention will always be the guys that have jumped through my hoops were glad they did. But, maybe you're like Frank the Tank in Old School when he tries to jump through the fiery hoop in the cat costume and just ended up burned so you avoid hoops like the plague : )))

Street-walking babies have become a major problem in this country. Hell, just last week I tripped over a little pimp who couldn't have been more than three months old. He had a bunch of hooker toddlers leaning on his Power Wheels Cadillac.

Why is an old timer listening to Lady Gaga?!

As with the other professions, I think they are made. I think a girl's relationship to her father will determine whether she could endure all that male physical contact without an Ick Factor getting in the way

Great comment. I think what would be the hardest for a provider is keeping this work a secret from people they are friends with and family. As a hobbyist, I have to keep it a secret too. I try not to have much shame because I choose to do this hobby and aware of stigma it has even as a hobbyist. In a way we are just like homosexuals before the 1970s when it was not only criminal but an abomination. So we have to remain "in the closet" about it. The fact is there is exploitation in every profession legal and illegal. Most of the time people aren't born a certain profession.

about the high incidence of Mr. Smelly Balls, in your experience.  

I started as a whore intern until I was old enough to become an apprentice whore. I worked my way up to journeymen whore, and hope to make master whore before I retire.

I must admit that your post raised my consciousness. It's probably the most thoughtful post I've seen on this subject. I noticed at the end of your post that you mentioned working in the adult industry all of your adult life. I remember when some jokingly referred to it as "The Playpen of The Damned."  

The reason the returning sex worker is usually looked down on is obvious. It's an illegal underground lifestyle with an enormous cost for the woman who gets caught/outed in the business. How would getting caught affect your standing in the community? Your non-sex worker social circle? How does this type of work affect future relationships and future job prospects?