Delayed Gratification

QUOTE

Leo Tolstoy once said…

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”

(Russian writer)

CONCEPT

Delayed Gratification

Delayed Gratification is the practice of resisting an immediate reward in preference for a later, often greater reward.

It’s about curbing short-term desires to achieve more substantial and fulfilling outcomes down the road.

Psychologically, this involves self-control, long-term thinking, and the discipline to manage impulses. The ability to wait for a bigger payoff can lead to better outcomes in everything from personal finances and career growth to health and relationships.

STORY

The Marshmallow … Test?

On a sunny afternoon in the early 1970s, a cluster of four- and five-year-olds gathered in a small room at the Bing Nursery School on Stanford University’s campus.

Each child sat at a table with a single treat—often a marshmallow—on a plate.

A researcher explained the rules: they could eat the marshmallow now or wait 15 minutes without touching it. If they waited, they would receive a second marshmallow as a reward.

The stakes were high—at least for a preschooler.

Some children squeezed their eyes shut, sang songs, or physically turned away to avoid temptation. Others poked, prodded, and sometimes took tiny nibbles, hoping no one would notice. A few couldn’t resist at all, devouring the marshmallow the moment the door closed.

Psychologist Walter Mischel observed these moments with fascination, hypothesizing that those who waited longer might show more self-control in later years.

In follow-up studies, many of the patient children scored higher on standardized tests, managed stress more effectively, and tended to excel academically and socially. In other words, the ability to resist immediate gratification correlated with thriving in adulthood.

The Marshmallow Test became a cornerstone in understanding how self-discipline can shape a person’s future.

By delaying a simple treat, children demonstrated a capacity for patience that, over time, seemed to pave the way for better long-term outcomes. Their moment of waiting wasn’t merely a moment—it was a glimpse into the potential rewards of practicing patience in life’s many challenges.