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An interesting look at culture through an economist's eyes, focusing on deferring gratification.

Here's the 'sugar' quote:

Then a remarkable finding came to light. In experiments beginning in the late 1960s, the psychologist Walter Mischel tormented preschoolers with the agonizing choice of one marshmallow now or two marshmallows 15 minutes from now. When he followed up decades later, he found that the 4-year-olds who waited for two marshmallows turned into adults who were better adjusted, were less likely to abuse drugs, had higher self-esteem, had better relationships, were better at handling stress, obtained higher degrees and earned more money.
In other words, there's a link between productivity and one old-time virtue: patience, or impulse control. Culture does matter.
1 posted on 09/04/2011 2:03:47 PM PDT by danielmryan
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To: danielmryan

“Adam and Eve ate the apple, Ulysses had himself tied to the mast, the grasshopper”

NYT can kindly go to hell.


2 posted on 09/04/2011 2:06:24 PM PDT by Christian Engineer Mass (25ish Cambridge MA grad student. Many conservative Christians my age out there? __ Click my name)
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To: danielmryan

3 posted on 09/04/2011 2:21:15 PM PDT by bayouranger (The 1st victim of islam is the person who practices the lie.)
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To: danielmryan

Thus the reason I seek the job that pays a penny a day, doubled everyday, for 30 days......

Good read...thanks !


4 posted on 09/04/2011 2:51:29 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: danielmryan

An excellent read - thanks!

One interesting tidbit was the observation that regularly swearing was an indicator of lack of self-control, leading to less self-control in other areas. (The author threw this point in without elaboration.)

I agree wholeheartedly.


5 posted on 09/04/2011 3:26:01 PM PDT by fightinJAG (Please stop posting "helpful hints" in parentheses the title box. Thank you.)
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To: danielmryan

Excellent, thanks.


6 posted on 09/04/2011 4:02:08 PM PDT by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
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To: danielmryan

8 posted on 09/04/2011 5:09:14 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: danielmryan

ping


10 posted on 09/04/2011 5:44:44 PM PDT by rogue yam
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To: danielmryan; Christian Engineer Mass; bayouranger
Great read and certainly food for thought. There's much wisdom to be gleaned from this study.

To the two reactionaries who took swipes at NYC: you look so foolish. Your knee-jerk reaction to the source (and you'll get no argument from me that NYT is leftist and deserves, for the most part, to be bird cage liner) makes FR look like DU, Daily Kos and leftist pundits on TV. Those people are never able to judge a piece on its merit. Their only response is to shoot the messenger. Observe how stupid they look the next time you see them do this and then consider your posts on this thread. If you can see the parallel, then you're a good candidate for learning to exercise self control, resisting the temptation to diss the source while neglecting to assess the actual content.

BTW, I am always suspect when I see a Christian wish for anyone to go to hell. Since God's will is that none should perish but that all should come to repentance, believers should be of the same mind. We know that not all will come to repentance, but we should desire it nonetheless. Were I still an unbeliever, I'd scratch my head at the inconsistency of your post and your profile page. Perhaps I'd even be one of those who said, "almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." How tragic if you stand before the Lord one day and have to answer for turning people away from Him.

11 posted on 09/05/2011 11:24:22 AM PDT by ru4liberty
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