Walter Mischel’s marshmallow study but usually in terms of willpower. (Quick summary: kids were promised two marshmallows if they could resist eating one. The kids who resisted, demonstrating greater willpower, went on to be much more successful in life down the line.) But another interesting element of that study is how many of the resisters managed to avoid the temptation. Most didn’t just bear down, grit their teeth, and exhibit superhuman willpower. They actually engaged in cognitive reappraisal. They looked at their situation through another lens or made it a game.
