Hmm.. I agree with this a bit, but I think (like all things) the answer lies in the middle. Speaking purely from anecdotes, I'm well versed in the math behind

Hmm.. I agree with this a bit, but I think (like all things) the answer lies in the middle. Speaking purely from anecdotes, I'm well versed in the math behind interest rates and debt management, yet I still find myself with urges compelling me to pay off smaller debts first. This is even when it takes no mental energy for me to manage my current situation because my payments are set up to automatically deduct. I think my own urges come simply from wanting to feel like the money I spend on a car payment is suddenly "freed up" and available, despite losing money by allocating it from other mathematically better uses of that money. I recognize that this is a misguided notion, but it's still tough to get away from, and I believe it has some to do with how my brain accounts for losses versus gains. Now I'm also not saying that your situation doesn't happen either, so I'd still say this article is useful if it helps anybody who is truly misevaluating their debt situation to rectify it and pay less interest overall.