4A

In the video entitled “Joachim de Posada: Don’t Eat the Marshmallow!”, Joachim de Posada explains the study that took place in the late 1960’s with four-year old children at Stanford.  (The link can be found at: http://www.ted.com/talks/joachim_de_posada_says_don_t_eat_the_marshmallow_yet.html).  The researchers asked a child to sit at a table in a room with a marshmallow on the table.  The researcher told the child that if they wait patiently, when they return the child can eat two marshmallows.  The researcher also said that if the child is unable to wait, he or she could eat the marshmallow right away, but would forfeit the second marshmallow.  This study has a great deal to do with self control, patience, and delayed gratification.  According to the article, “Don’t Eat the Marshmallow” by Chris Higgins, researchers found that children who had greater self control at a young age were more likely to succeed in school and have higher SAT scores.  Also, children who were unable to delay gratification were more likely to have issues behaviorally, academically, and socially.  (This link can be found at: http://mentalfloss.com/article/21839/dont-eat-marshmallow).

The author of the article “Resistance Training For Your ‘Willpower’ Muscles” explains that, “…when it comes to willpower, if practice doesn't make perfect, then at least it makes progress. Tierney says people who exercise their willpower frequently often have better self-control.”  (The link can be found at: http://www.npr.org/2011/09/18/140516974/resistance-training-for-your-willpower-muscles). In my life, I have worked hard in school to be successful and enter college.  I plan to work very hard in my classes in order to earn my degree.  When I graduate, I will create a career for myself and save my money to eventually get married, buy a house, and have children.  All of these relate to self control and willpower because these are necessary to achieve goals and be successful.

Many Americans do not have patience and today’s technology creates a world where people receive instant gratification.  The creation of the Internet, including Email, Instant Messages, and Networking Websites have created a link between people that ensures constant communication and instant information delivery between parties. With the creation mobile devices, such as the iPhone and DROID, there is constant communication between people.  Therefore, there is an expectation that everything in life should be instant and people do not have patience like there was in the past.