Karine Laudort Two in five Brits (43%) confess to having a guilty pleasure. A new report from Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn has shown that two in five (43%) Brits have a ‘guilty pleasure’, something we enjoy, but for some reason think we shouldn’t like – with almost half (44%) feeling embarrassed as a result.
The nation’s guilty pleasures were uncovered as part of the ‘Being You: The Index‘, Innis & Gunn’s report commissioned to encourage people to drop the ‘guilt’ and be their most authentic and original selves.
Although one in four (26%) said their guilty pleasure made them feel good about themselves and 23% enjoy the freedom their guilty pleasure allows them, it’s disappointing to see that more than a quarter (28%) have been shamed by someone else for their guilty pleasure.
However, more encouragingly, some people already feel that their guilty pleasures are helping them to live more authentically, with 12% of people 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 one in nine (12%) like that they ‘feel wrong’ – with men (15%) enjoying this feeling almost twice as much as women (8%).
Additionally, four in ten (40%) enjoyed more guilty pleasures than normal in 2020, with more than a quarter (28%) promising to be more open about their guilty pleasures in 2021.
Innis & Gunn has enlisted Consultant Psychologist and broadcaster Honey Lancaster-James to help explain their findings, which uncover the insights and perceived obstacles that many find on their way to being their true selves, and the ways in which people choose to express themselves.
Dougal Gunn Sharp, Founder, Innis & Gunn, said:
“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 it too. Our mission, ‘Be You, Stay Original’ comes from our belief that the world is a better place when people can just be themselves. It’s at the heart of everything we do, it has made us who we are today, and we now want to go further and celebrate the originality of others.”
Commenting on the report, Honey Lancaster-James, Consultant Psychologist and Director of On-Set Welfare, said: “We live in a world that we perceive to be very judgemental, and this means we don’t feel free to be our true selves. 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.”
So, with all of that said being said and out of the Brits’ top 10 listed guilty pleasures, what is/are yours?
· All surveys were conducted between 16th December 2020 and 18th December 2020
· The sample comprised 2000 UK adults
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