Yesterday I asked two 8-year old girls the following question:
If you had to choose between being rich and just a little bit happy versus poor and extremely happy, which would you pick?
I was worried for the future of our world when both girls immediately replied “rich and only a little bit happy.” But one of the girls renewed my faith by explaining it this way. “You can always get happier. I’d take the money first.”
This answer displayed an understanding of the power of delayed gratification plus a complete disregard for the constraints of my hypothetical question. That is all I ask from our young people.