Five thoughts, ideas, insights, or quotes to power up your mind to think differently and creatively about life and who we are. Put all previous thinking away and open up a brand new world of the Supermind. YOUR SuperMind.
This week – Debt.
It’s a money world today. Make no mistake about it. Look around. Everywhere you turn money shows itself. But that becomes an addictive attraction to us humans. If we haven’t naturally go it, we spend it to pretend we have and to show off to others. With life defined by social media these days, individual self image drives human behaviour. See and be seen. But, that means spend and be spending. The end result? A few more online followers but a heap of debt. And in 2026 we are in debt more than ever before. SMS delves in and asks whether debt is a good thing…..or not!
1. What are we paying for?
The average non-mortgage debt per adult in the UK in 2024 was £6300 each. In the USA the average total consumer arrears in mid-2025 was $104,755. In both countries and countless others the debt-to-income ratio is increasing to scary levels. As for the UK, in the latter part of 2025 that figure was 116.9%. Or nearly 20% ABOVE what earnings are. We owe far more than we bring in money wise. Costs have increased over the years but debt has spiralled at a faster rate.
What are we paying for? What is causing us to truly be in debt beyond what we can afford?
2. Priority Pounds and Dollars.
At the turn of the Century most people’s priority spending was household related bills, clothing and footwear, social entertainment, and a small number of holiday costs. Today those priorities have clearly changed. Expensive brand new or fast cars clog the roads. Bigger and better homes are sought out. Trips and vacations are now multi times a year and now to far flung places. We socialise all the time, wear the best designer gear, and seem rarely at home to save some finances.
Why has our priority spending changed and why do we feel we have to do it?
3. We didn’t do debt….now we do.
Being in deficit used to be a stigma. A kind of social failing that we were horrified anyone finding out about. Not today, no way. It’s a normalised factor of being alive. Once the credit gates swung open at the end of the last Century, debt is as everyday as profit. We no longer blink at having liabilities we owe or taking them on. We have changed in relation to this aspect of money management. Therefore…
Do we need to rethink our relationship with debt being OK? What mentality should we develop?
4. Slaves to the system?
Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, ‘A man in debt is so far a slave’. He could well be right. Debt keeps us firmly part of the system. It keeps us working and striving to generate the income to pay down the debt. In some cases due to interest, that debt accumulates meaning again working more and more to cover the growing financial burden. It’s a merry go round that’s far from merry that many can’t get off. They were given (loaned/advanced) to help out that has so much extra added to it, they have to pay to the masters who owned the original funds.
Are we slaves to the financial system? Are we merely working to keep others in wealth while we have debt?
5. Who does everyone owe?
Historically if we had a debt it was to a bank or financial institution. Low level stuff to purchase a used car, update the bathroom, or buy a small starter home. Nowadays we seek advances for absolutely anything – from our weekly salary to money for once in a lifetime trips that are now once a year or less. But, this is and always has been consumer debt. Individual members of the public. Not any more. Today it is complete countries that are in debt. The world can’t all be owing each other. Which leaves this bigger question…
Who is behind the mass creation of debt, and how can we stop them and this?
Ok, that’s another SuperMind Saturday done. Thank you for being here for the SuperMind time. Keep thinking about these and other issues raised on here on SMS. We need more minds thinking about this issue and the others issue on SuperMind Saturdays. Why? Because it’s needed. Because the world requires new thoughts and ideas. Ones from people like you!!
See you next time for more super thinking.
References – UK Parliament – researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7584/CBP-7584.pdf.
Experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/research/consumer-debt-study.
Photo attribute – Free to use under Pixabay Content License by Tumisu
