Comments on: Postponing financial responsibility until you grow up

By: Jason Dean

Jason Dean — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:51:15 +0000

Excellent article! I identify with this myself. I started a prosperous business in college, and after it failed, I wanted to be a kid again. I went back to school to escape “the real world.” Graduating was a wakeup call!

But your wife’s friend sounds like he may have legitimate mental problems. Personal responsibility is essential, but some people do have legitimate problems that they cannot overcome — just like a blind man cannot see.

By: Best finance articles from Carnival of Personal Finance #107 at Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:48:22 +0000

[...] Blogging Away Debt hosted this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance. My own article “Postponing financial responsibility until you grow up” was featured as an Editor’s [...]

By: Carnival of Personal Finance » Carnival of Personal Finance #107

Carnival of Personal Finance » Carnival of Personal Finance #107 — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:09:08 +0000

[...] Clever Dude: Postponing Financial Responsibility Until You Grow Up [...]

By: Welcome to the 107th Carnival of Personal Finance » Blogging Away Debt

Welcome to the 107th Carnival of Personal Finance » Blogging Away Debt — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 03:39:03 +0000

[...] Postponing Financial Responsibility Until You Grow Up “Do you have a friend who keeps saying things like “I’ll be an adult when I finish college” or “I’ll grow up when I _____ (insert phrase)“? We have that friend.” [...]

By: The Daily Dough (25 June 2007) : The Dough Roller

The Daily Dough (25 June 2007) : The Dough Roller — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:35:21 +0000

[...] Postponing financial responsibility until you grow up [Clever Dude]–This is a good article for all to read. Regardless of how old you are, it’s never too early (or too late), to start making sound financial decisions. [...]

By: m

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:20:09 +0000

Wouldn’t you say that claiming their actions are because “they’re afraid to grow up” is judging? (Unless of course they’ve told you themselves that this is what’s behind their behavior). Because I can think of many other reasons that would explain their situations, such as self medicating a depression with alcohol, for example.

Of course, they are your friends, so perhaps they have told you they are afraid to grow up. It just isn’t clear from this post whether that’s the case. And in general, I think applying one’s own motives and feelings to other people’s situations–no matter how similar they may appear on the surface to one’s own experience–usually leads to faulty assumptions and misunderstanding.

Fear of being an adult may have delayed your progress toward graduate school, and it may even be the reason for your friends’ behaviors, but I think it’s safe to say that many others who are in the circumstances you describe have a variety of reasons for it, many or all of which may differ significantly from the motives and feelings you ascribe to them.