Debt is simply people living beyond their means and focusing on the wrong things. Continually shocks me that so few really stop to think about what the purpose of debt is and who benefits the most from it.
Short answer: banks and those who rely on the credit system to build their empires benefit the most while the everyday person is burdened by obscene debts that keep them under stress and in need of work.
It’s not “simple” when it’s a lifestyle that is shoved down your throat since birth.
Your surprise means that you are unable to see all the traps that are laid out specifically to keep people in debt.
It’s not just vanity that keeps people in debt, people are conditioned to need certain things.
That is not an excuse. Just because you get pressured to do something, does not mean you should do it.