John: [00:03:44] From my recollection, I instructed her fairly early on, in all probability instantly after dental college. I instructed her that I used to be about $450,000 in debt, totaling from undergrad and dental college as effectively, and that was about it. That was the primary time I instructed her.
Ramit Sethi: [00:04:05] What was her response while you instructed her that quantity?
John: [00:04:07] Her response, I keep in mind, was it was loads simply because in comparison with hers, I felt like she had some assist from her household, which is superior. I love her mother loads. So, her response was one in every of shock.
Ramit Sethi: [00:04:22] Yesterday, proper earlier than this name, they stuffed out a questionnaire, the place they included their monetary particulars. Wendy didn’t know the way a lot debt they really had, and when she noticed the quantity, let’s simply say, she was shocked.
Wendy: [00:04:36] He was filling out the questionnaire. I believe that’s once I was like, oh, yeah, so how a lot is that quantity now? And I’m anticipating it to be manner much less, as a result of we completed dental college 10-plus years. So then, once I heard the quantity get greater, and I used to be like, oh, no. So, I assume recently-
Ramit Sethi: [00:04:53] Yeah. What was your feeling while you heard that quantity greater than it was, not decrease?
Wendy: [00:05:02] Trepidation. Yeah, worry. It’s like I need to cry like, oh, my God, how come it’s not getting any decrease?
Ramit Sethi: [00:05:12] Did you two discuss it while you heard that quantity?
Wendy: [00:05:17] Type of. I believe he was similar to, it’s okay, it’s superb, it’ll be superb. He was simply form of like, it’ll be okay, Wendy. Prefer it’s my downside. I’m going to deal with it.
Ramit Sethi: [00:05:30] Discover that tactic, one associate telling the opposite, don’t fear about it, after which layering on, it’s my downside, which isn’t very satisfying in a relationship with two folks. Once you hear that, how do you react to that?
Wendy: [00:05:47] It’s positively annoying.
Ramit Sethi: [00:05:50] What do you imply?
Wendy: [00:05:51] I’m on the facet, saying like, I need to aid you, like we’re a household, and he’s like, I’m this macho man, I can deal with myself.
Ramit Sethi: [00:06:01] A lot of males are raised with a deep perception that now we have to deal with our household financially. And till lately, that was very, quite common. That perception is so deep, it’s so invisible that I name it an invisible script.
Ramit Sethi: [00:06:15] Are you a macho man?
John: [00:06:17] No, I don’t take into account myself to be a macho man. I felt prefer it was one thing that I selected to undertake. It was my duty. Even earlier than we acquired married, even earlier than we acquired engaged, I felt like that is my alternative, it’s my duty, so why would I knowingly have my spouse undertake that duty, too? As a result of she’s already paying her personal loans, and he or she’s virtually achieved, proper? So, why within the hell would I need to add much more onto her plate?
