The researchers concluded that in some cases, genetic predisposition helps us to succeed. Nevertheless, thanks to the plasticity of the brain, the ultimate success depends on us - on how we manage our inheritance.
Scientists have found that there are certain centers in our brains that help us succeed. Also, according to the results obtained by them, the neuroplasticity of our brain is so great that we can even create such centers ourselves and improve them. This is stated in a study on the science of success, published in the magazine "Time". Success has always been something desirable, and the concept of success is very vague and subjective. For some, this is a good position in the company or a large amount of money in the account, but for someone it is more important to have many friends and feel healthy.
There is no consensus on what success is. However, regardless of this, certain abilities help us achieve it. One of the most famous studies on this issue began in the seventies in the United States. Stanford University researcher Walter Mischel posed a very simple problem for children aged four to six. A tasty candy was placed in front of them, and if they managed to stand for 15 minutes and not eat the candy, then they received a reward. However, it was more difficult to resist than it seems, because this candy was lying right in front of the kids. The kids came up with all sorts of strategies to avoid eating the treat. Some did not succeed, while others were able to complete the task.
A few years later, Michel analyzed what happened to those children who were able to overcome the temptation. They got better grades in school, tolerated stress better, and were more successful in social life. Obviously, it wasn't the candy task that helped them achieve all of this, but their ability to self-regulate. In other words, the ability to give up immediate gratification in order to receive another that will come later, but will be better. Patience is an essential characteristic of success.
"I will not eat this cake, which I really like because I am on a diet." "I will not tell this person what I think, although I really want to, because in the future it may harm my interests." "I will stay at home to study, although I would rather go out with friends." Here are some examples of self-regulation. For post-Michel researchers, the ability to give up immediate gratification is only part of the success. More importantly, it is already present in the brains of some children. This means that some people find it easier to control themselves than others. According to Ian Robertson, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the Institute of Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, this is about genetics, although parenting also contributes to this ability.
Nature and nurture form a tandem that is essential to success. American psychologist Daniel Goleman wrote about this in his famous book The Theory of Emotional Intelligence. In his opinion, a perfectly arranged brain and a high IQ do not benefit us if we do not understand what empathy is, if we cannot understand what emotions other people experience and compare them with our own. Therefore, the best leaders are not always the smartest. They may even have employees who have much higher IQs. Up to 70% of the success of the best leaders depends on the ability to self-awareness and self-regulation. The second important factor is the ability to "get into the skin", to feel another person. This has been confirmed by various subsequent studies.
The ability to motivate and control oneself, take risks, development orientation, psychological stability and social skills play a key role in achieving success in any sphere of life. In a study using MRI, it was shown that in CEOs, the part of the brain responsible for analysis and organization (lower left quadrant) and that responsible for interpersonal relationships and emotional attachment (lower right quadrant) are connected much better than the average citizen. According to Ian Robertson, author of The Winner Effect, this is to some extent due to genetic predisposition, but more importantly, to early upbringing and subsequent education.
According to research on this topic, success in some cases depends on genetic predisposition, but also on variables such as parenting, our environment, and our drive for change. Therefore, thanks to the almost unlimited neuroplasticity of our brains, we should never despair. If we want to be successful, then everything depends on ourselves, everything is in our hands. And this is good news for those who did eat candy many years ago.
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