I have no doubt that both of you already understand this and aren't including this in your analysis (which I largely agree with, by the way) but there ARE extenuating circumstances. Things like "divorce" can throw this all into a tizzy. I do understand all that you've both said, and I agree, but I know going through the end of a marriage that was failing, and a divorce that involved lawyers (though is amicable now) there were decisions made that, in the cold light of 20/20 hindsight, would be done differently today. As for "taking that on", also agreed, but again... without airing someone's dirty laundry, I know someone who was in a marriage, in a financial situation that made a lot of sense in the family sense but maybe not in a single mom sense, and when he upped and left, she was holding the bag. She was able to refinance and keep the house (an asset) but had to absorb some debt along the way.
Again, I know you guys know this, but I only write this to say that all debt isn't de facto bad, it's the decision-making that goes INTO the debt.