Learn Self Control from Marshmallow Experiment

mayorita (54)in #stemiteducation • 7 years ago (edited)

Many things we can learn when we want to train ourselves to delay the pleasure. Like people who have ability to exercise self-restraint have greater chances of success than people who are difficult to resist. There is research that has proven, one of the research named with marshmellow experiment.

As we know, marshmellow is one type of white chewy candy that is preferred by children. In the study, certainly not adults who became the subject of research but children aged 3 to 5 years. One by one the child is placed in a room that has a camera installed that can record all the gestures of children in the room. Children will be given one marshmellow, but children will be promised more marshmellies if they can hold a few minutes until the researchers come back. From the experiment, there are some children who can not bear to immediately devour the marshmellow in front of him. However, many children who can hold until he finally get a gift in the form of additional marsmellow more.

The study did not stop there. The children who followed the experiment were then monitored for development up to 14 years later. Apparently, when entering adulthood, there is a significant difference in terms of study and their career. Children who were able to exercise restraint were more successful in the study than those who could not help themselves. Not only that, children who are able to postpone pleasure also show more positive traits, such as more optimistic, more competent, not easy to envy and tend to be more independent.

With this marshmellow experiment we can actually get some important lessons relating to the ability to exercise restraint. One of them is, when we are able to hold ourselves we will have the opportunity to get bigger things. Sometimes when we take a decision based on a hasty attitude will result in a bad decision. The feeling of rushing can be the result of a lack of ability in restraint. As decision which is based on the desire to get big profits in quick time. It can also be related to undergoing a process. A person who can not restrain himself in the process then he will tend to find an instant road in order to immediately get pleasure.

Everyone surely wants to be able to feel the pleasure in his life. However, it does not mean someone can get it for free just like that. Of course there is a process or stage that must be passed in the journey. Because something quickly acquired will quickly disappear as well. By refraining from undergoing that process then pleasure can will be longer. Because the pleasure is worth fighting for.