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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
David Robson

The pleasure principle: is a little bit of indulgence the secret to success?

A woman smiling amid images of a donut, a biscuit, a film reel, a beachball, a basketball, and a fizzy drink
Illustration by Observer Design. Illustration: Observer Design

We may live in a largely secular society, but the Protestant work ethic is still alive and strong. The “lazy” and “entitled” millennials, we have been told, are workshy and self-indulgent. They spend too much and save too little – behaviour that is not only harming their future prospects, but those of the world economy.

We should have the grit of our elders, apparently – who weren’t scared to suffer some hardship with the promise of a better life ahead. Except they too are coming under criticism for enjoying the life that they struggled to earn. According to the UK chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, it is time for the over-50s to put away their golf clubs and start contributing to the economy again.

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