Reminder for the "you were stupid for taking out student loans" crowd: Many of us grew up hearing the same message over and over again: if you wanted a good life, a stable career, and any real chance at success, you had to get a college degree. Not maybe. Not possibly. We were told it was the only responsible path forward. Teachers said it. Parents said it. Guidance counselors said it. Politicians said it. Society said it. So millions of young people, many of them barely old enough to vote, signed the paperwork, took on the debt, and went to college because that was what every authority figure in their lives told them was necessary to avoid falling behind. Then graduation came. Tuition had skyrocketed. Student debt followed people for decades. Wages didn't keep pace. Housing became less affordable. And many degree holders entered a job market where a diploma was no longer the guaranteed ticket to stability they had been promised. Now the same generation is often mocked and told, "Well, you shouldn't have borrowed the money." Interesting. When teenagers were taking out those loans, society called them responsible for investing in their future. Years later, when the bill arrived, suddenly they were called foolish for listening to the advice they were given. You don't have to agree with every complaint about student debt to recognize the contradiction. An entire generation was sold a promise. Many are still paying for it.