Do you often have trouble resisting the urge to do something, even though you know it's better to wait? The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment, conducted by a psychologist in his 30s, focuses on the concept of self-control and its impact on one's long-term success. The experiment explores people's ability to delay immediate gratification for a better reward. In the experiment run by Walter Mischel, 600 people participated, and the experiment started when they were kids.
The researcher gave each child two choices: either to eat the given marshmallow immediately, or to wait for a short period of time and eat two of them instead. This was a tough decision for most of the children. 30% of them chose to take the marshmallow, while the rest wanted to wait for the additional marshmallow. The ones who waited developed some strategies for it such as distracting themselves or looking away.
Years after, previous data about the subjects of the experiment were collected. According to the statistics, the ones who chose to wait for the bigger reward were more likely to be successful in life. They had healthier habits, higher academic achievements, and most importantly, they were happier.
This proves that self-control, perseverance and discipline contribute to the overall quality of life. Who would have thought that a simple marshmallow could hold such valuable insights about self-control and success?