Exactly. I think 4-5 year old me would have weighed the utility of sitting there having a battle of wills with myself for one extra marshmallow, and quickly dec

Exactly. I think 4-5 year old me would have weighed the utility of sitting there having a battle of wills with myself for one extra marshmallow, and quickly decided it wasn't worth it. What if I hold out for 10 minutes only to finally give in, and then the researcher returns seconds later? Better to fail fast than risk that. At the moment there seems to be a lot of weight behind the idea that we only have so much willpower to burn in a day. So you might hold out against that tempting box of donuts all day at work, only to break down stop at a bar on the way home for a few pints. I think on some level I've always felt that avoidance is better than fighting when it comes to willpower. First option - avoid the temptation. Second option - give in. Only if #1 isn't feasible and #2 is a very bad outcome, then go to battle.