The question of self-control is an age-old problem - puzzling the Greeks, haunting writers of the Enlightenment - which has risen to new heights in the 21st century, where temptations abound while boundaries falter. Never have so many guilty pleasures been offered to us (sugary drinks, fat food, snacks, internet, sex, gambling, etc.) so readily (mainly thanks to the ever progressing technology you don't even need to leave your comfortable couch anymore to indulge yourself). Never has, in other words, our self-control been under so much constant pressure. Ask Tiger Woods if you must.
This notion of self-restraint is the topic of Daniel Akst's delightful read "We have met the… Read more
