Philip zimbardo says that some children have this ability to see into the future, as it were. The reward available in the future is real for them. But other kids who are impulsive give in to the present temptation. They don't have the discipline of the grit to hold on till they get that result. And i was amazed to see the difference between those who select the pleasurable and those who select that which is good and beneficial.
Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches the Katha Upanishad, which is one of the most popular Upanishads. The scripture concerns the story of a young man who goes to the house of death to find out what happens after death. The reply describes the nature of reality and the meaning of life.