Here’s my video clip of the month so far, with a hat tip to Gene Expression. The writer tells us that:
Self-control is the ability to inhibit an immediate course of action in the pursuit of a longer-term goal or to consciously override a base urge. Some people show far more inhibitory control than others. This trait is very stable — indeed, inhibitory control in children, which can be assessed using the famous “marshmallow test,” is predictive of their score on scales of impulsivity as adults. (The marshmallow test must go down as one of the cruellest experiments in psychology — it involves asking four-year olds not to eat a lovely yummy marshmallow for five minutes, after which they will be given another one to go with it if they have resisted. The videos of these poor kids as they struggle to resist this urge are priceless.)
Indeed they are. Block out three minutes to watch that video clip. Then allow another ten minutes to stop laughing.