Did you know?

One can be too responsible—or so suggests a new study by two consumer psychologists interviewed by John Tierney in yesterday's Science Times.

When asked by the two researchers how they felt about what they did on their winter breaks, college students initially regretted not doing enough studying or earning enough money. But when they looked back on their experiences a year later, they were more apt to regret not having enough fun.

The trend was even more pronounced when alumni attending a fortieth reunion were asked the same question. “People feel guilty about hedonism right afterwards, but as time passes the guilt dissipates,” says Dr. Ran Kivetz, a professor of marketing at the Columbia Business School. “At some point there’s a reversal, and what builds up is this wistful feeling of missing out on life’s pleasures.”

To read the full article ("Oversaving, a Burden for Our Times"), click here.