Why Some Pleasures Feel Guilty
We call some pleasures “guilty” and others virtuous. Eating cake versus eating kale. Watching reality TV versus reading books. Sleeping in versus getting up early. This distinction isn’t natural. Pleasure is pleasure. But calling some pleasures guilty serves a purpose. It creates social order. If everyone chased immediate physical pleasures all the time, society would fall apart. So we developed shame around certain kinds of enjoyment. We made indulgence feel wrong and discipline feel righteous....