Dr Jacqueline Rifkin is an assistant professor at Cornell University who studies how we manage our money and experiences. She says it’s time to consider the cost of putting off the odd indulgence such as stress or missing out on an experience that will have lasting impact. Dr Rifkin says we can fall victim to what’s called the “specialness spiral”, making ordinary thing feel like treasures, if we delay gratification for too long. Her plea to just eat the chocolate from time to time is in an article for The Wall Street Journal called “The Downside of Delayed Gratification”
Photo: Conrad Erb and Conrad Erb Photography
