The Marshmallow Principle

Every adult, as they watch this video, asks themselves what they would have done if they had been one of the children in this experiment. I can’t be sure, but here are my top choices:

• I would have eaten the marshmallow.
• I would have eaten the marshmallow while the experimenter was still in the room giving me instructions.
• I would have thrown the marshmallow on the ground, stomped on it, and then sat there, glaring angrily at the two-way mirror.
• I would have held off on eating the marshmallow, motivated purely by my plan to refuse the second marshmallow when it was offered.
• I would have hidden the marshmallow, hoping to trick the experimenter into thinking that I had eaten it, and bravely foregoing the second marshmallow. Only I would know about my private marshmallow conspiracy.