Why aren't people more financially responsible?

[Lucifer]

Hard to argue with your statement  and points @iced 

My own stumble can be quite attributed to my lack of consideration that I could stumble.

In fact, A very major relationship in my life ended because my partner would not live under the consideration that the unexpected could happen.     

I prefer to live well within my means.  I like having liquidity.   I like living today knowing I am taking good care of the many tomorrows.   I see credit limits as confidence points and not money I can spend.

But, I have also raised kids and know life happens.   I know that even when you plan, life still happens.  

ETA:  Clearly,I do not know how to @reference someone.   

[Anonymous]

Personally, it's lack of education and interest. My parents weren't open about money, and on my part, I didn't realize how being financially responsible early on would benefit me once I'm older. Delayed gratification didn't seem enticing.

[Save-n-Invest]

I was lucky. Parents began financial education with me when I was very young. Little kids seeem to take to things like that. They used small items such as cleaning my room. If I did an ok job they touched it up. If I gave it a good cleaning including dusting woodwork behind, under the bed I found coins! That was a big deal. Lessons were age appropriate and designed to be fun. 

Household finance was an open subject. The one thing it took me a long time to understand was how could anyone run out of funds when there was a checkbook available? No touching a checkbook until I was old enough to understand that funds had to be on deposit. 

When I was in eight grade they bought a new car. Mom told me to write the check. I never wrote a number that important on a check before.  It took a few trys to get the longhand to fit the space on the check. Those lessons help a yonger person appreciate the cost of so many things that would otherwise seem to magically appear in the house or garage. 

Good stuff.