I suppose you could also say it’s like alcohol – ok in moderation. It’s when you get too much debt (and the wrong kind) that things get hateful, but I think that’s misplaced. It’s really a form of self loathing that hits people when they realize where they are and what actions got them there.

Regardless of the cause or the emotions involved, you’ve got to change your behavior before your situation will change.
.-= Joe Morgan´s last blog ..How to Avoid Debt After Death. =-.

But at the same time, I’ve seen pride be a great motivator for people who are working on getting rid of their debt. What starts as a little joy over making that first small dent into a massive block of debt can grow and push someone to finish what they started.

Great points all around from lots of people. I think emotion is just a tool that can be used to push people towards or away from debt.

Recently my thoughts were running along the same lines as yours, Baker. As I was driving to my job, the words “I hate [my employer]” drifted into my mind, as they do every time I drive to my job. It occurred to me that hating an institution whose combined student body and labor force is larger than the populations of most small cities is about like hating a force of nature. The institution cares about my hatred almost as much as a tornado or an earthquake would care. Why, I wondered, am I wasting energy on this pointless and negative emotion?

There must be a more productive emotion we can use to marshall our efforts.

In my case, I decided to focus not on “hatred” but on feeling that I am done with that institution and on discovering how I’ll live once I am free of the unhappy job. Oddly, this change in focus has made a big difference in my mental outlook.
.-= Funny about Money´s last blog ..Quinoa: Pretty good! =-.