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Patience Is the Key to Success “Don’t! The Secret of Self Control”, written by Jonah Lehrer, is about self control and that
patience is the key to success. As John Quincy Adams once said, “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect
before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” Some people think that being a “high delayer” is the only way
to achieve success in life, but I disagree. I don’t think you have to be a “high delayer” to achieve success. I believe that
even “low delayers” can achieve success in life. All you need is patience and perseverance, and ‘difficulties disappear’. I
know many people who would have been considered “low delayers” as kids. Now, they have achieved greatness. Some
are doctors, teachers, and business owners. A good example of someone who was a “low delayer” who has achieved
success in life is Craig Weisz, described in the article, “Don’t! The Secret of Self Control.” Craig participated in the
“Marshmallow Experiment”. Craig was one of the kids that couldn’t wait for the second marshmallow, and is known as a
“low delayer”. When Craig grew up, he moved to Los Angeles and has been doing many different things in the
entertainment industry. Right now, he is helping write and produce a film. His sister, Carolyn Weisz, also participated in
the marshmallow experiment. She was able to wait for the second marshmallow, and is know as a “high delayer.
Carolyn is now a psychology professor at the University of Puget Sound. Although Carolyn was a “high delayer” and is
now a professor, Craig is still successful, too. He is working in entertainment. He has a job, and helping write and
produce a film is a great accomplishment. Most people would never have the chance, or would even be able to do
something like that. Also, he could be famous for co‐writing and producing that film. It could turn out to be a great film
that many people want, and go to see. I am not saying that being a “low delayer” is just as good though. Being a “high
delayer” is definitely much better than being a “low delayer”. “High delayers” are proven to be more patient, better at
getting along with peers, being able to plan ahead and prepare, and are better at dealing with problems. “The
Marshmallow Experiment” helps little children learn that waiting is better than doing right away. It is better to wait for
things, such as expressed in “Don’t! The Secret of Self Control.” If you waited, and were patient, you were rewarded
with a second marshmallow. Giving the children a reward for being patient and waiting, teaches them that waiting is
better. If you just rush into things, it is not of equal value. By not waiting for the second marshmallow, you did not
achieve success. Which brings me to my definition of success; the achievement or accomplishment of ones intended
purpose. This is my definition of success, because when I think of success, I think of someone accomplishing something.
Whether it’s winning a race, getting into the college of your dreams, or something small like winning candy for best
Halloween costume, it all counts as success. You’ve successfully performed your intended purpose. Success is a
word used to describe people who have achieved greatness. For example, presidents, doctors, and Olympians have all
achieved success. They are the sort of people you hear around the word success, because they have achieved their
intended purpose. The president has achieved success by running for president, and winning the votes of the people.
Doctors have gone through all their years of college, studied hard, and became a doctor. An Olympian practiced, was
patient, never gave up, and competed against other competitors, better, worse, or maybe close to the same as them. An
Olympian has achieved success just by getting into the Olympics. Even if they don’t win any medals, they still were able
to be in it. No matter what happens, they have achieved success. Even small things, like a baby’s first step, getting
perfect attendance, hitting your first home run, or bowling a score of 90 when your high score was 89. Every one has a
different prospective on what success is. Success can be little or big, depending on whom you are. Some people believe
success has to be something big, but others count things little, to big as success. All of my examples have been patient,
persistent, and all had different strategies to gain their success. This article entitled, “Don’t! The Secret of Self Control”,
and the video, entitled “The Marshmallow Experiment”, expresses some of the strategies different kids and people use
to achieve their success. Some of these strategies include distracting oneself occupying themselves from the temptation,
playing with something else, being patient, not giving up, keep trying until one succeeds they succeed, not looking at the
marshmallow, or even pretending the marshmallow is just a picture. The strategies some of the kids use are similar to
some of the strategies I use to achieve success. Some of the strategies I use, are never giving up, being patient,
trying until I succeed, and if I am waiting for something, (such as the kids waiting for the marshmallow) I distract myself
to try and get my mind off of what I’m waiting for. If you are waiting for something that you really want, use some of
these strategies. They will help, and will help you later on in life. If you are trying to do something else, such as practicing
for a solo in a band concert, you have to be patient, never give up, and keep on trying and practicing. When I first started
playing the saxophone, I could barely play one note. I wanted to give up, but I didn’t. I kept of trying, was patient, and
practiced everyday. Now, I am first chair for the saxophones in my school. I can play almost every note now, instead of
just one. If you want to achieve success, you must be patient, and never give up. If you aren’t patient, and you give up
easily, than you probably will not achieve your indented intendedpurpose.
Comment:
Your essay is well organized and has only a few errors. Each section of your essay seeks to develop the main idea at
length and with concrete examples. There is sufficient clarity and coherence to your ideas. The first section engages with
Lehrer’ s article directly, using the example of Craig Weisz to probe Lehrer’s conclusions. I like that you are nuanced in
your approach to Lerher’s essay: you point out the subjective nature of success, which the article does not sufficiently
address, and yet also acknowledge the validity of its central insight about the crucial role self‐control plays in many
aspects of life. You show yourself as careful, questioning, and open‐minded.
To strengthen the essay further, you would need to strengthen your engagement with the ideas in Lehrer’s essay‐‐tease
out more ways in which the ideas connect or remain distinct. For example, your definition of success—the carrying out
of one’s intended purpose—only highlights further the need for self‐control, as Lehrer suggests, but with an added
element of the ability to set out goals for oneself. You could probe here the ways in which these two things overlap or
diverge—couldn’t a high delayer be good at self‐control at tasks imposed by others (like the marshmallow test) but
terrible at self‐directed tasks? Does Lehrer’s essay address this question? Finally, there is a bit of a contradiction
between the two strategies you compare—of self‐distraction and of patient music training: the first bends the mind
away from the object of desire, the second bends it continually towards the activity.
Grade: B