Mr. Tough Money Love recently wrote a post about financial discipline being the key to success and how seeing the mistakes of others, particularly "experts", can lead us to be a little too forgiving of our own mistakes. Yes, it is good to forgive yourself when you make a mistake but I agree that too much forgiveness can be a bad thing.

#1 Self: "Put down the cookie. Cookie is bad for you, make you fat."

#2 Self: *whine* "But I want cookie, it is soooo yummy."

#1 Self: "Put down the cookie."

#2 Self: "But I want cookie."

#1 Self: "No! you can't have a cookie."

#2 Self: "I think I am hungry. Yes! I am hungry! I need cookie! *CHOMP* Not my fault!"

#1 Self: "Dangit! I told you not to eat that cookie!"

#2 Self: *licking crumbs off fingers* (inside voice: mmmm.. good cookie...) "I'm sorry I ate the cookie. Please forgive me?"

#1 Self: "OK, I forgive you, but don't do it again, alright?"

#2 Self: "Yes, I promise. No more cookies."

#2 Self: "There are more cookies. They look so yummy. I think I am still hungry. I want cookie."

#1 Self: "No more cookies!"

#2 Self: "Just one more..." *munch munch* "...sorry..." *munch munch* "...sorry"

{NEXT TIME STEPPING ON THE SCALE}

Self #1 "What?! Up five pounds! It was those dang cookies!"

Self #2 "Why did you let me eat those cookies! You knew they were bad. They were so not worth it. I hate you."

Self #1: "Why wasn't I more disciplined? Then this never would have happened. I am SO angry with myself."

Self #2: "It's OK, I forgive you, let's be better from now on."

Self #1: "Yes, let's be better. But first let's have a doughnut, I need some cheering up."

Now just substitute words like subprime mortgage, new _________ (unneeded item purchased with credit), et cetera for cookie; and words like bailout, rescue, and stimulus for doughnut. You now have an illustration of how we all got into trouble with our money and (for a huge percentage of Americans) with our waistlines.

In order to change our bad habits, financial or otherwise, we really need to be a little stricter with ourselves, and not so easy with the forgiveness. A period of good effort and progress followed by a tiny slip-up immediately followed by getting back on track and demonstrating remorse and a willingness to change; forgiveness granted. A series of constant slip-ups followed by insincere apologies and no demonstration of change; no forgiveness. (Hello, Bank of America...AIG...Citicorp...)