Odraczanie gratyfikacji jako istotna część charakteru : psychologiczna i temporalna analiza etyki pracy i estetyki konsumpcji

The article presents the work ethic as a psychological variable. In its most important part, itformulates a hypothesis that the very ethics is a part of character accentuating the postponementof a bonus for further future, which allows for doing an arduous and hard job that becomes pleasure.The very pleasure is a result of satisfaction with a well-done job which, in this perspective,becomes a moral obligation. A person realizing this obligation evaluates him/herself as a betterone, and hence, derives pleasure. Postponement of gratification, being in contradiction with impulsivity,allows for concentrating on the obligation, and rejecting immediate rewards, namely,consumption.If we take for granted that work is punishment, whereas consumption is reward, we notice thata series of events: punishment (work) → reward (consumption) dominated in the postindustrial era,while in the postmodern era it was a reward → punishment event. The conclusion is that a consumerdoes not forget about hard work. He/she works in order to pay down consumption debts, and,most frequently, does not evaluate work as highly as an individual in the postmodern era.