Ever wondered why mortgages keep getting larger? I’m of the opinion that it’s to encourage us to be chained to the system. By taking on a significant debt for your principal place of residence (which typically doesn’t produce an income) you reduce your risk tolerance and set a floor on the income you need to produce. This is what society wants for you. To commit 20-30 of your most productive years chained to our economic machine exchanging 40-50 hours per week. Here's my 2c.