![]() ![]() A desire to avoid delay: it’s uncomfortable to engage in self-denial, and all of our instincts are to seize any opportunity for pleasure as it comes.Psychologist Shahram Heshmat outlines 10 reasons why it is so difficult to sidestep this urge (2016): However you slice it, the lure of short-term pleasure is a tough temptation to avoid. You could even argue that self-defeating behavior that seems to bring no immediate benefits is in line with the pleasure principle-for example, a person who frequently starts fights with his spouse may seem to be getting no benefit from his actions, but perhaps the apology or make-up period after the fight has passed outweighs the short-term discomfort of the argument (Good Therapy, 2015). It’s clear that humans are, to at least some extent, driven by the desire to experience pleasure. Although Freud’s conceptualization of the human mind has largely been relegated to the “interesting idea, but it doesn’t really pan out” category of psychological theories, the pleasure principle was one of his more enduring propositions. The term was first used by Sigmund Freud to describe the role of the “id,” his proposed component of the unconscious mind that is driven purely by baser instincts (Good Therapy, 2015). ![]() This tendency is known as the pleasure principle. Why is it so difficult to choose delayed over instant gratification? Instant Gratification Theory in PsychologyĪt the heart of instant gratification is one of the most basic drives inherent in humans-the tendency to see pleasure and avoid pain. It’s easy to see how delayed gratification is generally the wiser behavior, but we still struggle on a daily basis with the temptation to give in to our immediate desires. The flip side of instant gratification is delayed gratification, or the decision to put off satisfying your desire in order to gain an even better reward or benefit in the future. It’s all well and good to plan for the future, but actions that are taken to benefit you in the here and now are much more advantageous when you’re being stalked by a fierce predator or offered the opportunity to eat your fill in a time when starvation was a much bigger concern than obesity. It has almost certainly provided an evolutionary advantage for humans and their ancestors, as life for pre-modern humans hinged on decisions made and actions taken in the immediate far more than those intended for long-term gain. It’s a natural human urge to want good things and to want them NOW. When you have a desire for something pleasurable-be it food, entertainment, or sex-you rarely think thoughts like, “My stomach is rumbling and I would love to have that delicious dish, but I’d rather wait another hour.” Instant (or immediate) gratification is a term that refers to the temptation, and resulting tendency, to forego a future benefit in order to obtain a less rewarding but more immediate benefit. What is the Meaning of Instant or Immediate Gratification? ![]()
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