The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

by Dave Ramsey

The financial and banking industries, in particular, are very good at teaching us their way of handling money, which, of course, leads us to buy their products. If I see an ad again and again that tells me I will be cool and sharp-looking if I drive a certain car, I can fall under the illusion that with the purchase of that car, those good things will happen to me. We may not really believe that we will become a model just from purchasing a car, but notice that ugly people aren’t used in the TV spots to sell cars. We aren’t really falling for that lie—or are we? I’m just asking. After all, we do buy the car and then justify our purchase on the basis of something academic like gas mileage. When we participate in what the crowd identifies as normal, even if it is stupid, we gain acceptance into the club. Sometimes we don’t even realize what we are doing is stupid because we have been taught that it’s just “the way you do it,” and so we never ask why. As we participate in the myth, we learn to spout the principles of the myth. After the years go by and we have invested more money and time into the myth, we become great disciples and can preach the points of the myth with great fervor and volume. We become such experts on the myth that we can sell others on joining the lie. I once joined in the lie, but no more.