THE PROBLEM You've been told your whole life that if you just: - Budgeted better - Saved more - Spent less - Had more discipline ...then you'd be "good with money." But here's what nobody tells you: You don't have an information problem. You have a psychology problem. And it's not just YOUR psychology. It's the intersection of: 1. Internal forces - Your unconscious patterns, beliefs, and emotional triggers 2. Social forces - Comparison culture, status signaling, algorithmic manipulation 3. Structural forces - A system deliberately designed to exploit your vulnerabilities Traditional financial advice only addresses math. It tells you WHAT to do with money. Money psychology asks: WHY do you do what you do? And what forces are shaping your decisions without your awareness? MY THREE FORCES FRAMEWORK — This is the foundation of everything we do here. 🧠 INTERNAL FORCES: Your Psychology These are the unconscious patterns running your money decisions: - Money beliefs you inherited ("Rich people are greedy," "I don't deserve wealth") - Autopilot behaviors (emotional spending when stressed, avoiding bank accounts when anxious) - Cognitive biases (present bias, loss aversion, confirmation bias) - Using money to regulate emotions or signal identity 👥 SOCIAL FORCES: Your Environment These are the external pressures shaping your decisions: - Status signaling through spending - Algorithmic comparison (keeping up with 1,000 Joneses on social media) - Friend group spending norms - Cultural expectations about what you "should" have by now - Peer financial opacity (everyone performs success, hides struggle) 🏛️ STRUCTURAL FORCES: The System These are the intentional designs and policies working against you: - Exploitative product design (subscriptions easy to start, hard to cancel) - Dark patterns and gamification (one-click purchasing, BNPL apps) - Economic barriers (wage stagnation while costs soar) - Algorithmic manipulation (social media showing you envy-inducing content) - "Being poor is expensive" (overdraft fees, can't buy in bulk, predatory loans)