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

The latest research shows delayed gratification is not always a guarantee of wellbeing - carefully planned moments of pleasure can be hugely beneficial

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.