These thoughts spring from reading about the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment (1972). It began with the testing four year old children. They were all offered a marshmallow, but told that if they waited 20 minutes before eating it, they would receive an additional one. About a third succeeded in waiting the 20 minutes to receive their reward.
What made this test a classic was the follow-up studies on the same children years later. It was found that their behaviour at four years was an accurate predictor of their later success in life. The children who resisted the simple temptation were better adjusted, scored higher school grades and had more success in their careers.
Success in life depends on the ability to delay gratification. This is something that a consumerist culture undermines. Unfortunately, our children are being targeted by big business to be future consumers. In fact, our whole culture is being taught to embrace instant gratification. If we don’t have the money now we put it on credit.
The greater trial we might face is not poverty but affluence. If we are not careful we will take our position of relative wealth for granted. We will lose our compassion for those less fortunate around us, and let social bonds become weak. We are called to fight poverty, pursue justice, treat our neighbour decently, show care for the destitute stranger, and ensure that everyone has dignity.
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