You may be right… for a certain kind of person, dealing with other people's money increases the feel of personal responsibility (which is a good thing!)

I don't believe that's what's at work most of the time, though. It seems like there is a kind of person who wants to imbue every action, every day, with a kind of Life or Death drama. (Related drama: Everything I Do Is Hugely Important.) Getting the other people's money plays into this sense of self nicely.