ALMOST half of Scots admit to having a guilty pleasure – and 45% say they feel embarrassed by them.
Findings in a new report from brewer Innis & Gunn – Being You: The Index – revealed 47% of the population have something they enjoy, but for some reason think we shouldn’t like.
Of the top 10 guilty pleasures uncovered, 32% admitted to eating fast food, while having a nap and wearing pyjamas all day came second and third respectively, both at 18%.
Listening to cheesy music, having duvet days and watching Disney movies and reality TV also featured in the top 10 list.
The brewer’s report was commissioned to encourage people to drop the “guilt” and be their most authentic and original selves.
Although around one in four (23%) said their guilty pleasure made them feel good about themselves and 20% enjoy the freedom their guilty pleasure allows them, a quarter (24%) of Scots said they have been shamed by someone else for their guilty pleasure.
However, some people already feel that their guilty pleasures are helping them to live more authentically, with 12% of Scots enjoying them as a way to express themselves. Interestingly, when asked why they enjoy their guilty pleasures, a quarter (25%) admit enjoying giving into temptation and 13% like that they “feel wrong”.
Almost half (48%) said they enjoyed more guilty pleasures than normal last year, while three in 10 (29%) said they would be more open about guilty pleasures in 2021.
Dougal Gunn Sharp, founder of Innis & Gunn, said: “Our stats show that indulging in things that we enjoy makes us feel happy, so we should feel free and able to be our authentic selves, appreciating these little treats without shame.
“At Innis & Gunn, being ourselves and doing our own thing has allowed us the freedom to make beers we love and hoped others would enjoy too. Our mission, ‘Be You, Stay Original’ comes from our belief that the world is a better place when people can just be themselves.”
Innis & Gunn enlisted consultant psychologist and broadcaster Honey Langcaster-James to help explain the findings. She said: “Staying true to your authentic self and daring to stand out gives you freedom and makes you feel liberated.
“Self-acceptance is key – by being honest and accepting yourself, you start to avoid the need for acceptance from anyone else, and that is what gives you true freedom.”
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