Just Chill Out and Wait

My Science teacher Mr. Carter did a since project last December. He research was done with children. Mr. Carter was determined to see if he could see the future by watching four year olds interact with a marshmallow. He invited the children, one by one, into a plain room and begins the gentle torment. "You can have one marshmallow right now", he says. "But if you wait while I run an errand, you can have two marshmallows when I get back." And then he leaves.




Some children grab the treat the minute he’s out the door. Some last a few minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait. They cover their eyes; they put their head down; they sing to themselves; they try to play games or even fall asleep. When the Mr. Carter returns, he gives these children their hard-earned marshmallows. And then, science waits for them to grow up.



By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey of the children’s parents and teachers found that those who as four year olds had the fortitude to hold out for the second marshmallow generally grew up to be better adjusted, more popular, adventurous, confident, and dependable teenagers. The children who gave in to temptation early on were more likely to be lonely, easily frustrated, and stubborn. They buckled under stress and shied away from challenges.


Of course, the moral of the story is that developing the character necessary to delay gratification in small areas can translate into great success in other areas. But the four year olds in the study didn’t know that. They didn’t resist the marshmallow in hopes of getting better grades in high school. They overcame their urge to eat the marshmallow because they had faith- they could envision the moment when the nice man in the white coat would come back with two marshmallows. They persevered because they trusted.


This story really encourages me. I go through the same internal struggle those kids must have endured. Like a marshmallow beckoning the child to eat its sweet fluffiness, something I want right now is calling my name. And let me tell you, it looks good.



Why don’t I snatch it up? Because there may be something better if I wait. But I must have faith to believe it. Like those little children, we’re left alone with something that we think could satisfy us immediately. And we can’t see the reward of delaying our gratification. It gets down to this question: Do I believe that by passing up something good now because it’s the wrong time, something better will come around when it is the right time?



Word of wisdom: make decisions based on the whole picture