Self control is the key to success. Lessons from the Marshmallow Test

A video from Synaptic Growth about the lessons learnt from the Stanford Marshmallow experiment.

What makes someone successful? There could be many answers to this, but one factor is undoubtedly, self control.

The marshmallow test shows that one of the key factors in future success is to show discipline and self control. When you are able to have self control, you can practice delayed gratification which will allow you to achieve you goals.

Sometimes you have to give up instant gratification, so you can reap the larger benefits in the future. Through repeated practice, discipline can be trained so you can be successful.

So in short, delayed gratification + self control = success.
-----
Visit the companion Blog post here!

Follow Synaptic Growth on facebook:

And Twitter:

Patreon:

Thanks to:

Additional reading:

- Synaptic Growth

[ankharahallstrom]

PS: Maybe you should come back to YouTube and maybe make more videos. You're really good. I very much enjoyed your presentation style.

[chewmanfoo]

I wonder what percentage of the 'wealthiest people in the world' appear to be successful simply because their parents gave them so much capital that they were able to fail with statistical normality yet in the end end up with successful investments.

[amirhosseinetemad]

the part that you showed a kid and said dont be like this was so dissapointing for me, you shouldnt do that .

[dancefly]

But what if you're constantly in self-control mode, and the reward never comes?

[ankharahallstrom]

I'm thankful I have enough of an imagination that I could wait out the time if an adult did the marshmallow test on me. I can imagine scenarios and stories in my head. I could imagine I'm a ruler of a planet, that I'm a space traveler, that I'm a superhero or supervillain, or even combine them, and pretend I'm a space alien riding a dinosaur meeting Princess Peach for tea. By time the adults got back into the room, they'd be surprised to see a girl so wrapped up in her imaginary world that she almost forgot about the treats. I'd even offer to share one of my treats with another kid, maybe we could be friends afterwards.

[Albrecht]

My god! When I remember back at my childhood (30 years ago), I think I would eat it immedately, because I live NOW and not later.
I have go an highschool excam ("Abitur"), but I haven´t studied.
Why not nevertheless beeing satisfied with my life? Must everyone be rich or academic?
Greetings from germany

[nurhayamquisai]

I don't like marshmallow so this won't work for me but Chocolate will!!

[missiegilreath]

You do realize this is actually a biblical concept, but of course that is not allowed to be said anywhere

[anthonybell]

i don't like marshmallows. so this won't work for me!

[michelleliu]

I have absolutely zero self control lol, that's why diet and weight loss exercise would never work on me

[apemayor]

Ok i'm sorry but this experiment as a whole is dumb. You get one marshmallow. Then you have to wait 15 minutes doing absolutely nothing for 1 extra marshmallow!! A marshmallow is gone in 2 seconds. This is a HUGE waste of time and if I were a kid I would just eat it then leave bc 15 minutes of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING is in NO WAY worth it for a treat that is down your mouth in 2 seconds!! Wow 4 seconds of gratification for spending 15 minutes in extreme bordom, ecspecially when you can get only 2 seconds less than that for NOTHING!!!

[maxpower]

OK something bothers me a lot about this video.
u said that people with good self control ended up more successfull in live, yet u forgot to say that one can learn self control. I think there r several people who couldn't self control them self In their younger age, yet still achieved the goal of self control later on.

self control itself isn't the answer I believe. it's the ambition to always improve yourself and get a better human being. self control is the key, but if u don't use the key, it's useless. and everyone can find this key in their live. and everyone can lose it in any point of their life.