When I told him this he got very emotional. We had a heated discussion. Afterwards I started thinking that maybe he is right and we should change the way we look at this. Excessive debt is a symptom, caused by inappropriate behavior that reflects our attitudes about money. Let's investigate your attitudes.
Excessive debt is a symptom of our attitudes and a product of our behaviors.
Simply changing the behaviors doesn't work. That's why people who try to lose weight by dieting frequently fail. You must change your attitudes first, then you'll do the right things. When we know the right answer, yet can justify our actions, we will feel guilty, but usually not enough to change our ways not until the brick hits us in the head. When this happens, if the situation is compelling enough, we'll experience what is known as a Significant Emotional Event.