Josh, I think there’s a difference between expanding one’s mental models of reality and making actual changes in how we behave and navigate through life. It’s a tension that leaves great potential for self-deception. I can easily tell myself that I understand the backstory and will do things differently in the future. But because emotions drive most people’s decisions (as you and many others point out), changing hard-wired patterns isn’t easy. Becoming a more rational and/or becoming a more evolved human with updated emotional reactions to managing and spending money…that’s a big task for anyone.