So.
I spent a good amount of time wondering what I was supposed to write about on a blog read probably exclusively by people who I know nothing about. And I'm sure, by now, the rest of you have had the same experience. My inspiration for this one came from a very interesting place; I didn't expect to be receiving homework advice from a cheap, frozen pizza. I was looking through other articles, both on this blog and others (a bit more popular than our own) trying to find ideas for my own first post. I decided to take a break, which while living on a pretty tight budget included the iconic, small, frozen personal pizza. I preheat the oven and place the pizza on a circular pan, and as I wait for the oven to heat, still browsing different blogs, I catch myself eating frozen pepperonis.
Why?
I wasn't particularly hungry, that clearly wasn't the motive. Sure, they taste okay I guess (as good as they get for cheap frozen food,) but why am I eating them now? Why not after they're cooked to perfection, when I am supposed to eat them, along with the rest of the pizza? I didn’t have to think about it very long though, and although the answer sounds a bit odd on paper, it’s simple. I wanted them now. Right now.
That, folks, is instant gratification.
I did a little research about instant gratification (and I do mean a little,) and despite the fact that it actually wasn’t very easy to find, there are few scientists out there buzzing about why humans are hardwired to want things instantly. The most digestible information came from an article on entrepreneur.com, written by Neil Patel. Neil tells us that humans are expected to respond to situations based on something called the “pleasure principle.” Basically, the pleasure principle is the term used to describe people doing things to get what they want and need as soon as possible, which can include anything from food and water to a cool hand-carved pen you saw on Etsy 20 seconds ago or diapers for your grandsons baby that still isn’t due for 7 months.
Neil goes on to relate the science behind instant gratification to the way it affects business—after all, this is entrepreneur.com. He talks about companies, especially in advertising, using instant gratification to make you feel like you need a product, or feel like you get a better deal by acting quickly. Buy right now and get another one free, right? But, that’s a more “in your face” example of instant gratification in advertising, and believe it or not, it’s actually usually subconscious; You’re hungry, you look at the screen to see a McDonalds commercial and you see dozens of people eating and being happy. And then they tell you they’re open 24/7. Eh?
So, am I a sucker? Should I be working hard to never allow myself to succumb to the horrors of instant gratification?
No, you shouldn’t, and it’s not always a bad thing. Delayed gratification, although seeming like the better, more adult option of the two, can actually lead to stress and anxiety if practiced too often, or with things that make no sense to delay. There are things that work hand in hand with instant gratification, without any repercussion, and no reason not to enjoy just as soon as you can! I mean, hell, who’s gonna notice a few pepperonis missing from a frozen pizza, right?
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