[JoeQuery]

I totally recommend everyone read Dave Ramsay's work to understand how to approach money. It was an eye opener for me.

But you have to understand that consumerism is pushed down our throats from all around starting at a very young age. Dave Ramsay doesn't just come into your consciousness like advertising does, and unless one is close to someone who is very anti consumerism and advertising you will likely be subjected to an onslaught of messages aimed at your subconscious that you are completely ill-equipped to fight.

I think many people in these comments are speaking on behalf of the general population who does not have the luxury of taking a year off.

This comment of yours drips with privilege.

Edit: I was introduced to dave Ramsay's work in my 20s by a close friend who was wealthy and had businesses and homes. He volunteered with some organizations to provide financial literacy classes. I was lucky to have been given that reference.

[caseysoftware]

While many here are commenting on the abstract general population, most are speaking about themselves with variations of "must be nice!"

When you fly, the emergency briefing tells you to put on your own mask before helping others. In lifeguard training, you're taught to keep yourself afloat before the victim.

If you don't have your own finances in order, your opinion on others' finances is just noise and about as valuable.

[JoeQuery]

> most are speaking about themselves with variations of "must be nice!"

Not necessarily. It's called empathy. And your lifeguard story makes no sense.

[Clubber]

A drowning victim will instinctively push the rescuer under the water, so the rescuer must have a secure flotation device. It was (probably still is) taught to pull the rescue-e to land by having the victim facing away with your arm around their neck and under the armpit facing away. This is to keep them from drowning you.

This is also biblical - take the splitter out of your own eye before you take the splinter out of another's eye (paraphrasing).

[JoeQuery]

I know that. But it is not apparent why that was relevant to the conversation.