Good work Leon. Your piece gets me wondering if advertising, which drives capitalism as much as the capital idea that short term profit above people, values and the survival of this good green earth— advertising may be the culprit.

Messages that we are not good enough, educated enough, sexy & long-lasting enough, that stuff creeps in everywhere we turn. TV is a big one.

The point I’d be tempted to argue is your jab at Universities, as if all experiences in higher education are the same. Critical thinking would quickly tease out the factors that lead to debt with nothing to show for it. But hey, I used to teach adults getting their undergraduate degrees. All of them were working full time and juggling family life.

They were universally poor but I saw their self regard and efficacy skyrocket as they slowly worked toward a degree.

Thanks for your reflections. Suicidal thoughts are a bummer, and none of us who has struggled with them thinks it is the easy way out.

Keep writing.