The concept of delayed gratification seems to get a lot of media coverage in the early 21st Century. It merely means to postpone a fervently desired goal until a more suitable time.
The early lives of humans abound with examples. When at the age of five I wanted a cookie about 4 PM my mother often counseled, “Wait, or it will spoil your supper.” Of course, it will, and the same irregular eating hours unfortunately apply in the senior years.
In the sixteenth century the Dutch philosopher Erasmus in his book “On Civility in Boys” taught boys how to become men by learning to control their appetites, delay their gratifications, and consider the sensibilities of others. The book was a best seller for two centuries. (Wall Street Journal, page C7, October 1 & 2, 2011.) Almost everyone acknowledges that not delaying gratification can bring unwelcome consequences ranging from the minor to the gigantic. Nations that finance projects by borrowing unduly from the future risk bankruptcy, social unrest and maybe even revolution.
Apparently all nations now are guilty, but Greece stands out. Travelers to that country say the government provides many amenities The voters have become addicted to the many unsustainable benefits and naturally resist, often violently, giving them up.
Ancient Greece provided the model for democratic government. It is ironic that the modern heirs refuse to delay gratification that enables the best from of government to endure.
