You've done it again, hit the nail squarely on the head! It's such a mixture of emotions I feel when I see people throwing away their potential wealth: sadness, frustration, laughter and confusion.
I especially like this section you quoted from "Millionaire Next Door," “How can well-educated, high-income people be so naive about money? Because being a well-educated, high-income earner does not automatically translate into financial independence. It takes planning and sacrificing.” That really cuts at the heart of what wealth is. It is more about discipline than about being talented, smart, powerful, etc. Like you said, it's about what you KEEP, not what you EARN!