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You have been culturally conditioned toward deferred gratification by decades and decades of the ideology of sacrifice and the idea that self denial, is of itself, a virtue, rather than a means to an end. You have allowed yourself to fall prey to that most insidious of ideologies:
The Puritan Work Ethic!!!
Or:
Personal gratification=improvidence/self-indulgence=low moral fibre & indolence=godlessness and poor hygene.
Its not your fault. Many of us are children of the children of the Great Depression. Saving for tomorrow was a tangible benefit and anything that didn't clothe, feed or house you was a luxury. If I ate to much fruit as a kid my father would bind on about how you couldn't get Bananas/Oranges/Pineapples during the '30s and how spoilt we were and when he was kid they had too steal bark to eat...yadayadayada.
I tried to point out to him that this was 1960s North America, far removed in time and space from depression-era England, and his job paid about 3 times the average, but still....
Now we have 120 days interest-free credit. It is our duty to spend. If we don't spend, others do not work.
We have no valid reason to carry guilt for indulging our harmless passions. It is our right & responisibility to seek happiness where it harms no others. We need bear no burden for spending on ourselves.
Indeed we should feel proud at having done so, knowing that we have benefitted the commonwheal, and made ourselves happy at the same time.
If we as ouselves are not happy, how can we be of use to others?
If we are of no use to others, what peace can we find and what place in society do we occupy?
Go ye therefore into the world and preach to every living creature:
"I have a credit-card and I would have a Takahashi" "Who amoung ye is with me?"
We are here but once and no man knoweth the hour...
Spend in peace, and spend well!!!
PJH
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