A new book, the bestseller, Willpower, says that having strong willpower (意志力) isnecessary to a successful life. The book starts by describing a famous experiment: The Marshmallow (软糖) Test. In 1972,a psychology (心理学) professor Mischel tested the willpower of 600 kids. In the experiment, each child was left alone in a room for fifteen minutes with a marshmallow on a table in front of them. They were given two choices: they could either eat the marshmallow or, if they waited fifteen minutes, they'd be given a second marshmallow (and then they could eat both).
So, what did the kids do? 70% ate the first marshmallow within the fifteen minutes, but the other 30% showed willpower—they didn't eat the first one and waited for the second marshmallow quietly.
Twenty years later, Mischel discovered something interesting. He got in touch with the children and found that those with strong willpower were getting better marks at university, were better behaved and were more popular. So, how important it is to have strong willpower!
But don't worry if you aren't good at controlling yourself. The authors say that willpower is like a muscle (肌肉). The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. However, just like any muscle, your "willpower muscle" can get tired. So, if you have to do lots of things that need willpower, take a break. That way, you'll build up your willpower again.
Lastly, the authors mention that people who learn foreign languages usually have a lot of willpower. So, congratulations!
