ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Desert (philosophy)

Desert (philosophy) is a way of thinking about how people should be rewarded for their efforts and accomplishments. It suggests that people should be given rewards that are equal to the effort and work they put in; in other words, if someone works very hard, then they should expect to be rewarded for that hard work. It's like getting a cookie for doing your chores; if you work hard at your chores, you deserve the cookie!