I think like in all things, balance is important. Planning for the future is necessary, but living in the moment and enjoying the present is also vital. It is in the extremes where it is really bad. I've heard of people where all they do is work and increase their savings, but a sudden heart attack ended their lives prematurely. They weren't able to reap the fruits of their labor. A lot of the young people before liked to enjoy life too much, and are not able to save for their future. That is why they are having difficulty managing their funds now. Balance is key.
But, what if the fruit was in the work they were doing, where the money was a byproduct of what they were doing, rather than the goal?
I agree though, there is a balance point somewhere, but we can't look to others to find it.