Pros and cons?
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
both have pros, both have cons
balance both... that is the key
too much focus on one leads to issues
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
I have an unfortunate and bad habit which i really need to change, I only look at short term gratification.
I find it very hard to think about long term gratification which is a bad habit, if i could train my brain to think about the long term too my life would be more productive, less impulsive and i would make less silly mistakes.
Im very spontaneous and all about living my life now, i find it hard to sacrifice something now because it will benefit me in the future :( sigh
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
both have pros, both have cons balance both... that is the key too much focus on one leads to issues
This balance is what I think needs to be obtained but difficult to achieve for many of us.
I have an unfortunate and bad habit which i really need to change, I only look at short term gratification.
I find it very hard to think about long term gratification which is a bad habit, if i could train my brain to think about the long term too my life would be more productive, less impulsive and i would make less silly mistakes.
Im very spontaneous and all about living my life now, i find it hard to sacrifice something now because it will benefit me in the future :( sigh
First thing for anyone to find solution to any problem is to recognize the problem. :)
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
This balance is what I think needs to be obtained but difficult to achieve for many of us.
not many of us compadres,..for all of us
we do however have atleast one great example to follow to emulate and strive for balance.
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
not many of us compadres,..for all of us we do however have atleast one great example to follow to emulate and strive for balance.
And that one great example is?
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
And that one great example is?
thats for you to find out i guess.
I thought you would know who the one great example for you is.
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110515/ap_on_re_us/imf_head_assault
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
I think what you think maybe. 
You meant the example of balanced one? 
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
Merged.
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
Ha, this is timely. I'm all about the delayed, mostly by default. Makes me appreciate the thing more and helps differentiate between wants and actual needs.
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
Ha, this is timely. I'm all about the delayed, mostly by default. Makes me appreciate the thing more and helps differentiate between wants and actual needs.
i want to be like this!
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
Ha, this is timely. I'm all about the delayed, mostly by default. Makes me appreciate the thing more and helps differentiate between wants and actual needs.
Interesting. By default most of us go for immediate results.
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
even when you delay something there is some immediate gratification isnt there?
lets use an example for savings, if you have the mindset that it is good to save not to spend unnecessarily then you feel gratified when you move some money into savings, or when instead of buying the latest toy for your kid you put some money in their college fund, etc. you can apply the same thinking in other contexts as well. its how you are wired and how you think, which may provide gratification now and later.
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
even when you delay something there is some immediate gratification isnt there?
lets use an example for savings, if you have the mindset that it is good to save not to spend unnecessarily then you feel gratified when you move some money into savings, or when instead of buying the latest toy for your kid you put some money in their college fund, etc. you can apply the same thinking in other contexts as well. its how you are wired and how you think, which may provide gratification now and later.
Yes, makes sense.
What it requires is the imediate appreciation of goodness, while waiting. This appreciation gives an immediate relief.
Had a discussion with someone a while ago and the person said:
"We chase our happiness goals"
We say "I'll be happy tomorrow"
College graduation, job, marriage, children, retirement, grand kids.....many goals to pursue.
Basically he wanted to be happy today! :)
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
even when you delay something there is some immediate gratification isnt there?
lets use an example for savings, if you have the mindset that it is good to save not to spend unnecessarily then you feel gratified when you move some money into savings, or when instead of buying the latest toy for your kid you put some money in their college fund, etc. you can apply the same thinking in other contexts as well. its how you are wired and how you think, which may provide gratification now and later.
See i think some people arent wired to even think that saving will give them gratification, if that makes sense.
For example with myself im not going to use a money example but lets say a food example.
There is a piece of rich fat delicious chocolate cake infront of me. I want that chocolate cake, i might know somewhere at the back of my head that if i eat this cake now it will not be good for my health, but i dont even think 'maybe i will feel good if i resist the temptation' my brain doesnt get that far it just thinks ' i want that cake and i want it now' and the impulsivity takes over.
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
I am usually not seen as a religious person, but this is among those areas that when religion talks about aitedaal..or balance, it applies to all aspects of your life. I intentionally dont use religious examples because in my experience then discussions go on a tangent (btw diwana if you are reading this that is why i did not specify the perfect example we all have in that other thread)
There are a lot of impulses, and in some cases being impulsive is perfectly fine...one can not be a miserable miser never enjoying anything, never doing anything spur of the moment, never indulging...a monastic lifestyle where you eschew all or most gratifications.
so some times is it perfectly fine...even better to indulge...so you dont say no to yourself at all times, but then at the same time saying, well I just had a big slice 2 days ago, and I want to fit well in my clothes for the wedding this summer or feel healthy or whatever it is to remind yourself of the future good of saying no right now. Or a balance approach where you take a small portion ..a few bites rather than a big slice.
I remember one of my good friends from college who always used to say..dont deny yourself your choti choti khawahish...there are many things in life we want or wanted and it is not on the cards yet and may never be, but when you keep saying no to yourself, you are telling yourself you are not worth it. so indulge every so often. I started thinking that he is really a wise spiritual man..and then he changed the topic and started giving some other guy maan behen ki galiaan...kher..wisdom wherever you find it..right? :)
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
Pros and cons?
I guess you just have to figure out how to balance them out.
A lot of people live paycheck to paycheck, never save up for the future. Been there done that. But then you grow up. We have needs now and will have needs later so you figure out what's a now thing and what's not. You have to have goals in life...like for everything, and reward system for those goals.
I don't know if I made sense.
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
The 'interest' or 'marginal benefit' of consuming/using somthing tomorow and not today, plays a significant role in deciding whether to go ahead with an act of consumption.
For example; putting your money into the bank rather than consumeing it now depends on the 'interest rate' and the concording total sum of money you recieve tomorow. If you value what you recieve tomorow higher than what you have today, then you will save. Otherwise you will not save.
Therefore, if I value the version I get of a service tomorow higher than what I get = today + waiting time, I will use the service tomorow.
Re: Immediate Versus Delayed Gratification
See i think some people arent wired to even think that saving will give them gratification, if that makes sense.
For example with myself im not going to use a money example but lets say a food example.
There is a piece of rich fat delicious chocolate cake infront of me. I want that chocolate cake, i might know somewhere at the back of my head that if i eat this cake now it will not be good for my health, but i dont even think 'maybe i will feel good if i resist the temptation' my brain doesnt get that far it just thinks ' i want that cake and i want it now' and the impulsivity takes over.
Nothing wrong in having temptation to something. What one does and how one satisfies the needs is one may need to focus on.
I am usually not seen as a religious person, but this is among those areas that when religion talks about aitedaal..or balance, it applies to all aspects of your life. I intentionally dont use religious examples because in my experience then discussions go on a tangent (btw diwana if you are reading this that is why i did not specify the perfect example we all have in that other thread)
There are a lot of impulses, and in some cases being impulsive is perfectly fine...one can not be a miserable miser never enjoying anything, never doing anything spur of the moment, never indulging...a monastic lifestyle where you eschew all or most gratifications.
so some times is it perfectly fine...even better to indulge...so you dont say no to yourself at all times, but then at the same time saying, well I just had a big slice 2 days ago, and I want to fit well in my clothes for the wedding this summer or feel healthy or whatever it is to remind yourself of the future good of saying no right now. Or a balance approach where you take a small portion ..a few bites rather than a big slice.
I remember one of my good friends from college who always used to say..dont deny yourself your choti choti khawahish...there are many things in life we want or wanted and it is not on the cards yet and may never be, but when you keep saying no to yourself, you are telling yourself you are not worth it. so indulge every so often. I started thinking that he is really a wise spiritual man..and then he changed the topic and started giving some other guy maan behen ki galiaan...kher..wisdom wherever you find it..right? :)
These choti choti khwahishan keep one going further.
The life then becomes similar to** fireworks theme*. (Or **roller coaster fun ride theme*)
Small firecrackers interruped perodically by the big ones.......... to make people anticipate for these bigger ones while still enjoying smaller happy moments.
I guess you just have to figure out how to balance them out.
A lot of people live paycheck to paycheck, never save up for the future. Been there done that. But then you grow up. We have needs now and will have needs later so you figure out what's a now thing and what's not. You have to have goals in life...like for everything, and reward system for those goals.
I don't know if I made sense.
Yes, being aware of what is essential now and will be needed tomorrow is what can bring some balance.
The 'interest' or 'marginal benefit' of consuming/using somthing tomorow and not today, plays a significant role in deciding whether to go ahead with an act of consumption. For example; putting your money into the bank rather than consumeing it now depends on the 'interest rate' and the concording total sum of money you recieve tomorow. If you value what you recieve tomorow higher than what you have today, then you will save. Otherwise you will not save. Therefore, if I value the version I get of a service tomorow higher than what I get = today + waiting time, I will use the service tomorow.
Good point. Bascially you described a rational approach for delaying gratification.
One must have some surplus money to be able to do that. What percentage HAS to be saved is different from what CAN be saved.
Obviousy to get to the point where one can have surplus amount of money to save, is based on prior planning. :)