For most people, the mortgage is the biggest debt they've ever taken on. If they look at the total amount to be paid over the life of the loan, it's staggering. It seems impossible that they could ever be worth enough to surpass that figure, which creates fear. And fear is what sells, hence the power of messengers like Ramsey
If one starts saving and investing early and consistently, there will come a point where investment growth and compound interest will exceed their income, then their mortgage balance, and so on, all the way to FI. Factor in wage growth, inflation and low, fixed mortgage rates, and it happens even faster, as everyone on this thread knows. IMO, it's a lack of education and imagination, but the fear is still real. The power of MMM and the FIRE philosophy in general is that it teaches people, so they can move past their fears. That is far more powerful, but it's a lot more nuanced than "Kill all the debt", so it's always going to be an uphill battle. It doesn't help that saving/investing is mostly voluntary in the US and we do not emphasize financial literacy in school.
My first mortgage was $101k, and I was petrified when I signed the papers. If anyone had told me that by not prepaying my mortgage I'd end up in the "Beyond" section of the "Race from $2-$4M and Beyond" club, having never been a high wage earner or lottery winner, I'd have laughed hysterically and never, ever believed them. I will forever be grateful to Pete and everyone along the way who helped me learn these lessons.
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