Oh, easy: 1) Wait for the marshmallow (it may be 15 minutes) 2) While you are waiting, distract yourself. 3) Presto: you are now happy and waiting for the marsh

Oh, easy: 1) Wait for the marshmallow (it may be 15 minutes) 2) While you are waiting, distract yourself. 3) Presto: you are now happy and waiting for the marshmallow. You can read the article on the new yorker now (google newyorker marshmallow, article is called "the secret of self-control") but the key concept is "strategic allocation of attention". I'm not sure what his point is...in fact the whole article is a little bit haphazard. The concept is usually stated as "deferring pleasure", which is completely different from deferring happiness.