I got a lesson in debt from my job... I'm convinced that most of the residential housing in my city is there because the workers have eternal debt to pay off

. $30,000 in the hole is not an uncommon story, and we're not talking something purposeful like an education. More like credit cards, taxes and affluenza. Basically people living FAR beyond their means.
The funny thing is all the reasons they come up with, "things would be different if suchandsuch". One I remember declared bankruptcy after a good many years trying to dig out himself. He got in the clear, was making money. Slowly began buying some nice things, and now I believe he's digging himself right back into the hole. Old habits die hard.
I get the idea that the fiscally responsible can easily handle debt, whereas certain others could start life with a great deal of money and lose it all + before they even know.