And there we are staring down that “hot” stimulus again. The real world is fantastically complex with thousands of factors, some tiny, some enormous, acting on us every day. Did I drift in my 20s because I lacked the temperament to stick with a goal or was I merely exploring my options until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life? Is that child dropping out of school because she lacks grit and determination or is she making a rational decision that, thanks to institutional racism or endemic unemployment in her community, school just isn’t worth the effort? Either may be right. Or neither. Or both.

Both.

Character is destiny: http://pandawhale.com/post/715/character-is-destiny-lao-tzu

This article made me look up the Marshmallow Experiment TED talk:

Why we want instant gratification: