Name: The psychology of time
Uploaded: 2009-06-22T08:35:00Z
Duration: 6 min 14 s
Description: Psychologist Philip Zimbardo says happiness and success are rooted in a trait most of us disregard: the way we orient toward the past, present and future. He suggests we calibrate our outlook on time as a first step to improving our lives.

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo says happiness and success are rooted in a trait most of us disregard: the way we orient toward the past, present and future. He suggests we calibrate our outlook on time as a first step to improving our lives.

Philip Zimbardo: The psychology of time

The psychology of time

Yielding to temptation reflects our time perspective—impulsive choices differ vastly in outcomes from delayed gratification.

Children resisting marshmallows for future reward scored 250 points higher on SATs, illustrating the power of future focus.

Optimal time perspective blends past positivity, future goals, and moderate present hedonism for enriched, balanced lives.