Marshmallow Dbq

Marshmallow
“Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: The future can be better than the present, and i have the power to make it so.” To succeed in life you have to have willpower and patience. Some people have more willpower and self control than others. Some give into pressure because they don't have patience or self control. You can use certain ways to keep you from giving into pressure such as covering your eyes or moving away from whatever it is that is causing the pressure.
In the article from Wired magazine by Jonah Lehrer he stated that “He invited a four year old into a small room and made her an offer, She could either eat one marshmallow right away or wait fifteen minutes and she could eat two marshmallows”(Source #1). He did this to test the child’s self control and willpower. Many children couldn’t even wait a minute but some were able to cover their eyes or stand in a corner to forget about the temptation and the ones that waited got two marshmallows. “The correlations were clear: The children who rang the bell within a minute were much more likely to have behavioral problems, both in school and at home. They struggled in stressful situations,

often had trouble paying attention in class and had serious problems with their temper.”(Source #1) This being said children that don't have patience or willpower were more likely to fail in life compared to those who were able to wait and succeed in life.
In the second article from the Washington post they state that “The ability to hold out for the latter correlated with greater success and self control later in life, leaving most students in Psych101 to assume the immediate marshmallow eaters were destined for failure.

But perhaps not!” He did another test and decided that the ability to stop temptation is not a skill everyone knows this is a skill that must be learned. “He states that only one of the fourteen children in the unreliable condition held out for the full fifteen minute wait. They may have assumed that the second marshmallow, just like the art supplies, was a big lie.” If children think that something is a lie they are obviously going to go with the choice that is already in front of them because they know that it is

real.
It has been proven that some objects take away from patience or willpower these are objects such as smartphones, TV, etc. There are many things that can teach a child cognitive control for children games such as Simon Says or musical chairs. They can win these games by paying close attention. Reading a book can teach children cognitive control to if they choose not to play games.
Many believe that the opportunities to impulsively spend are greater than they have ever been. In the article written by a finance writer for the chicago tribune they state that “In previous generations, consumers who saw an enticing advertisement at home often had to wait at least until the next day, when they could withdraw money and get to the store. That provided a built in cooling-off period that allowed the urge to pass. Or if they had no cash, they simply couldn't buy it.” “Today, the availability of ATMs, easy credit, online shopping and home shopping TV networks provide potential to be round the clock consumers who can satisfy buying urges immediately.” With so many options now in days not very many people have self control or the willpower to not buy something.
If you are able to stay focused and work on what you're working on you are sure to succeed in life. If you just slack off and expect people to hand you things your are destined to fail. “In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.” Believing in yourself and always doing your best is the best way to succeed in life.