Does Overindulgence Make You Happy?
Why we binge as a way of celebrating.
“How to Build a Life” is a weekly column by Arthur Brooks, tackling questions of meaning and happiness. Click here to listen to his podcast series on all things happiness, How to Build a Happy Life.
La Grande Bouffe is a 1973 French Italian dark comedy about a group of four friends who shut themselves up in a villa and eat themselves to death. Although mostly unknown to American audiences, the film is a cult classic in Europe. I learned about it in November 1991 shortly after marrying my Spanish wife. Living in Barcelona at the time, I treated my new in-laws to a full Thanksgiving feast: multiple turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes—the works. I even somehow procured pumpkin pies.
“This American holiday,”
