For rent, against own. Where does this come from?

The rent vs own debate is one of the silliest things in economics. <br> <br>The internet is chock full of people who say that owning a house is one of the most important things you can ever do, even if it costs more than renting, because renting is "throwing money down the drain." Everyone knows this, right? <br> <br>How did we get here? What causes someone to look at a picture of a house and say, "Oh, this must be the most important thing in all of life," and then, even if it costs more to own, decide to pursue it at any cost? <br> <br>For example: When you go into a store to buy a banana, do you think, "Gee, I wish I owned a banana farm. Then I could just pick this banana and it wouldn't be throwing money down the drain." Or do you think, "Right now, a banana is 60 cents. That's fine. That's what I'm going to pay." <br> <br>Why do we never think like that when it comes to houses? <br> <br>I know there are lots of tax benefits and stuff, but that can't be the whole story, can it? <br> <br>I want to know the psychology behind this: Why do we have such a strong preference to own rather than rent, even when it's irrational? <br> <br>Edit: Just to be totally clear: What I'm saying here is that houses do not make sense as an investment. <br> <br>You can either live in a house or you can invest your money. You cannot do both, because a house is not a financial instrument: It's a consumer good. <br> <br>It's either an investment or a consumer good. You can't have it both ways. <br> <br>And if you try to have it both ways, you're attempting to double count it, which is not how math works.