Offered a marshmallow now or two later, most four-year-olds caved within three minutes
Walter Mischel left four-year-olds alone with one marshmallow, promising two if they could wait fifteen minutes without eating it. Most lasted only a few minutes, but the children who covered their eyes, sang, or turned away lasted far longer than the ones who stared at the treat. The trick was never raw willpower — it was learning to make the tempting thing less vivid in your mind.