When to sell an Asset to pay a Debt?

We gauge our cultural wealth by how many cattle and goats we keep. However, we often have debts too – sometimes-big debts that cause us stress. Is it a wise choice that so many of us make to keep our assets whilst paying off our debts? Due to the emotional attachment, it’s a hard choice to consider selling items to pay down debts.  Sometimes, selling them won’t completely clear any of the major debts - why should we consider it if it won’t solve the full problem?