Curious George

Note: This is an anonymous poll since this can be a very personal question. There's no political agenda here so hopefully there'll be no multi-voting.

I was third party to a group coversation recently where one person brought up the idea of declaring bankruptcy and a number of others working nearby immediately began offering up their own stories and advice. It seemed that nearly everyone had either declared bankruptcy at some point in their lives or had known someome close to them who had done so. I was really surprised to hear how evidently popular the practice was; one guy had even declared bankruptcy three times (he was probably in his late 50's).

This conversation took place in front of the backdrop of this recent bailout mess and it got me thinking that maybe there's a psychology to all this that our society has succumbed to at all levels. We bite off than we can chew and then, once we get to a point that we're choking, we go see Uncle Sam and he makes everything all better. Then we go do it again. Maybe we've made it too easy to declare bankruptcy, both for citizens and corporations, and now it's coming back to bite us in the rear.

Personally, I've never declared bankruptcy, but my parents did before I was born (late 1970's). I was told it was the worst experience either of them had ever been through. My mother said it was worse than giving birth. To hear these people talk though it seems like bankruptcy has become something of a quick and painless procedure for getting rid of debt.

If that's the case, maybe that's why we're in this bailout situation in the first place. If nobody fears becoming homeless or losing everything, then it would seem there's little incentive to be prudent with money.

dragonslayer

In 1967. A business I had failed.

Middleground

I have not, but I do know a few people that have.

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Cephus

I haven't, nor would I, but I know someone who did. I've been in a situation where I perhaps could have gotten away with it, but I believe strongly in personal responsibility. I got myself into the situation, I got myself out.

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I'm not anti-religion, I'm anti-hypocrisy.

Blog me! http://BitchSpot.JadeDragonOnline.com

WI Crippler

I didn't declare bankruptcy, but my parents did when I was about 10 or 11. Hey I was doing my part, I had my own cucumber patch I tended and made money off of during the summer.

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"What Jesus fails to appreciate is that it's the meek who are the problem."- Reg

Hatuey

Oh this made my day. Thank you sir. Thank you.

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Is Intolerant Because He Won't Let The Intolerant Run Other People's Lives.

WI Crippler

Why is that?

Hatuey

Not every man had a patch of cucumbers when he was a boy.

WI Crippler

Well, it wasn't a huge patch. But when you are a young boy that age, you kind of want something for your own. The planting, weeding and subsquent picking of the cucumbers gave me something constructive to do outdoors during the summer, and I was rewarded for my work, when I picked the cucumbers, and took them to the place where the machine weighed and sorted them. You got to remember this was about 20 years ago now(holy **** ) and I was young. I think I made somewhere around $80-$100 a haul and I had about 3 hauls a year. Alot of money for a kid that age. Especially for one whose parents were poor themselves. The only thing is that I had to give 10% of it to our church, but I now consider it a lesson in taxation. All in all, I think it was a good life lesson.

Hatuey

And it made my day. I said thanks already damn it.