Traditional American success has ALWAYS been living debt-free, having a family and a business. Successful Americans were honest and humble. Bragging was viewed as classless and tacky.
It has NEVER been: getting into debt, having fancy toys, impressing other people.
Somewhere American values changed. No coincidence that commercial messages tell you to buy stuff on credit. A lot of profit is made telling you to borrow money.
Buying on credit used to be abhorrent to Americans. That attitude changed when mortgages became affordable as 30 year mortgages around World War II. And a decided advertising push made credit card debt socially acceptable.
This change in attitude conveyed to education.
That worked fine for a while. The recent college graduate could rely on a healthy economy to get a job and pay the money back.
I don't know if you've noticed, but those days are done.
My experience with systems engineering, systems testing, as an attorney in the foreclosure crisis and as someone who paid over $1000 a month until her mid-forties allows me to give you the benefit of hindsight.
Please listen.
It has NEVER been: getting into debt, having fancy toys, impressing other people.
Somewhere American values changed. No coincidence that commercial messages tell you to buy stuff on credit. A lot of profit is made telling you to borrow money.
Buying on credit used to be abhorrent to Americans. That attitude changed when mortgages became affordable as 30 year mortgages around World War II. And a decided advertising push made credit card debt socially acceptable.
This change in attitude conveyed to education.
That worked fine for a while. The recent college graduate could rely on a healthy economy to get a job and pay the money back.
I don't know if you've noticed, but those days are done.
My experience with systems engineering, systems testing, as an attorney in the foreclosure crisis and as someone who paid over $1000 a month until her mid-forties allows me to give you the benefit of hindsight.
Please listen.
Sad, yet true. It is very important that this reality is acknowledged by influencers like yourself. Only when the shame of, parental shame of, children not going the traditional route can we embrace the alternatives that are already available.
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