In the 1960s, Walter Mischel, a Stanford psychologist, conducted a fairly simple test. Put a marshmallow in front of a child and tell them if they can go 15 minutes without eating the first one, they will get a second one. Then leave the room.
It is called appropriately enough The Marshmallow Test and the intent was to show that if a child has sufficient willpower to resist the temptation of immediate gratification, then it will pay dividends down the line – at school and eventually at work. Less than a third of the children were able to hold out for the full 15 minutes.
The experiment has since been repeated and some of the results questioned, particular with regard to the role played by socio-economic status and parental education. But the underlying principle, most people seek instant gratification even at the cost of losing a larger reward, has been shown to be pervasive.
From an evolutionary point of view, this makes sense. Our ancestors are those who were successful in foraging. With no guarantee of a reward at some future point, delayed gratification didn’t make a lot of sense. Eating what you have and worrying about tomorrow, tomorrow, was the key to survival.
I mention this experiment for two reasons. One is that scientists have tried out The Marshmallow Test on a wide variety of species and many have passed with a greater success rate than human children. Indeed, the most recent was an announcement that cuttlefish pass The Marshmallow Test.
But the second, and more important, is our present crises. Take the COVID-19 pandemic as one example.
This past week, the mayor of Miami was pleading with “spring breakers” to party responsibly, maintain social distancing, wear masks, and keep safe. And every night, it was more important for the crowds to gather and party than ensure their long-term health. Immediate gratification wins.
The same can be said for all sorts of gatherings in Canada and around the world. Vancouver police have busted up impromptu underground night clubs with 60 people crammed into downtown apartments. In London, crowds have rolled out into the streets leading to riots with the police. In Naples, a large crowd protesting restrictions gathered in the central Piazza del Plebiscito and called for the governor to resign.
Most of those protesting or flouting the rules and laws claim they just want their life back. They want to be able to socialize, go out dancing, or go to the bar. Or they want their business back in operation.
I have a great deal of sympathy for anyone trying to run a business under the present circumstances. And the sooner we get everyone vaccinated, the better. But social distancing and other restrictions will be with us for longer than the vaccination campaign as the vaccine protects against the rampages of the illness but it doesn’t eliminate the virus from our population.
New variants mean an annual COVID shot may become the new norm. Being conscious of the capacity to pass on the pathogen will require changes in the way we do things.
With regard to partying (and when did party become a verb?), this is just instant gratification. It is not necessary. It is not essential. Indeed, there are many healthier and better ways to engage socially. And I know I am not going to convince anyone of that. Still, if a cuttlefish can delay gratification, surely so can adults. What is a night of partying compared to a lifetime of good health?
It is not just the pandemic where we have to take a long view, though. Consider the whole issue of climate change. Even the Conservative Party of Canada recognizes the changing climate is a real issue although a motion reinforcing that view failed at their most recent convention.
But what are we doing to address the issue?
We are still one of the top three countries in the world for carbon dioxide emissions on a per-capita basis. Yes, our contribution to the total is small – about two per cent of global emissions – but we are less than 0.5 per cent of the world’s population. Put another way, if the rest of the world emitted carbon dioxide at the rate we do, the total global emissions would increase fourfold!
We still have politicians who argue we can’t do anything about it without hurting our economy. This is so patently absurd I don’t know where to begin but maybe that will just have to wait for another column. Suffice it to say, we can keep having the instant gratification provided by maintaining our current lifestyles but we will miss out on a better future in the years to come.
We can eat our marshmallow now but I would argue it is be better to wait and have more marshmallows in the future.
