I don't know why Americans do it? What's the point in climbing? If you are lucky enough to get your degree for close to nothing then that's a blessing in disguise but if you got it and talked in close to 6 figures of debt then in my opinion that is similar the the cycle of abuse.
Step 1: get brainwashed since you're in elementary school to get an education or you'd be a nobody.
2: graduate, busting your ass in the process to get stellar grades for to pure pressure (while in the process you're missing out on the best moments of your life when you're not responsible for as much stuff as you would as an adult) only for it to lead up to nothing because…
3: you're most likely going to the same exact college with the kids that didn't give a damn in school. And if you're in the very very slim minority where your parents had money and truly cared about you (most parents don't) then you might have a slim shot at going at an Ivy league school.
4. You go to the school with the notion that “you can be whatever you want” and you accumulate debt that's near the 6 figure range.
5. You graduate college.
6. You land your first job.
7. Then you have truly entered the state of no return where you're at a soul sucking job because if you want to hand a job that is going to pay off your debt, you've got to grind, hustle, and impress your boss to pay off your student loans which will be a life long process.
8. That beater car that you have? Time to get a new one. One more huge bill to pay.
9. Time to buy a house to start a family. More bills to pay.
10. The American cultural brainwashing finally registers in your head that it was all a hoax. Your entire life you've been gaslighted, manipulated, and mistreated and all that you have to say for it is the “appearance ” that you're “making it” in the rat race.
You with your house, degree, wife, kids, new car, new gizmos are probably just as “rich” as a blue collar worker in Indiana that probably has a better work to life balance than you do and is happier overall with life.