The Marshmallow Experiment

Walter Mischel, a Stanford researcher in the 1960s, studied children's ability to defer gratification, which is now considered an essential to success in health, work, and life. In the test, the child can have one marshmallow now or two after waiting a particular period of time. The researchers observed each child for decades and found that the group who waited for the second marshmallow tended to succeed in many aspects of life. Discipline beats distractions for success. Investing money for the future rather than spending it now. This is delayed gratification's principle. �What we do, and how well we control our attention in the service of our goals, becomes part of the environment that we help create and that in turn influences us. This mutual influence shapes who and what we become, from our physical and mental health to the quality and length of our life.� � Walter Mischel