I think that the primary reason people don't pay down debt is because they either don't see the need to or don't think its reasonable. They have come to believe that you will always have debt and that's just the way it is.
This is especially true when it comes to things like car payments. People are now much more accustomed to 'buying' a car by seeking a loan and are usually much more concerned with the payment amount than with the price itself. Since they often believe that they'll always have a car payment, they have no sense of urgency to pay off their vehicle(s). Many of them will trade in their vehicle(s) on a new one before they ever get it paid for anyway. Thus reinforcing their negative conclusion and bringing about the fact that they indeed, if they continue in that mindset, will likely always have a car payment(s).
A second factor is that many people like to live in the now. They don't like the idea of holding something from themselves to accomplish a goal later. They'd rather spend the money now on something they want rather than save it or send in extra payments to reduce debt. This is another sure-fire way to ensure that you stay in debt for a long time to come.
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