Waiting for an unpleasant event is so painful that we are ready to make sacrifices in order to save ourselves from waiting, scientists led by psychiatrist Gregory Berns from Emory University in Atlanta (USA) came to this conclusion.
Volunteers were to receive discharges of electric current: they were offered to choose between a weak discharge, which they would have to wait for, and a stronger one, but immediately. Most chose the second option, and the brain scans of these people showed the activity of areas responsible for pain — the wait was unbearable! So, on the eve of a painful event, we sometimes act illogically — just not to wait. It pays to learn patience…