The teacher gave a delicious candy to every child in the class and then gave a strange instruction: "Listen, children! None of you should eat your candy for ten minutes." Saying this, he walked out of the classroom. Silence fell over the class; every child was staring at their candy with eagerness. Time ticked away, and the ten minutes were up. The teacher returned and assessed the class. There were seven children whose candies were still intact, while all the other children had already eaten theirs. The teacher quietly noted down the names of those seven children in his diary and began teaching. The name of this teacher was Professor Walter Mischel. A few years later, Professor Walter researched those children again. He found out that those seven children had achieved great success in life, while the remaining students were leading ordinary lives, and some were even facing harsh economic and social conditions. Professor Walter concluded the result of this research in a single sentence: "A person who cannot practice patience for ten minutes cannot progress in life." This research received global acclaim and came to be known as the "Marshmallow Theory," because the candy given to the children was called a "marshmallow." According to this theory, one of the qualities found in the world's most successful people is "patience," which enhances a person's power of endurance. Thanks to this, a person does not lose hope even in difficult circumstances and becomes an extraordinary personality. However, keep in mind that this is not forced patience out of helplessness, but a voluntary patience by choice. It is this very power of endurance that elevates them to the heights of success.
