Should Wikipedians stuff beans up their noses?

"I can resist everything except temptation" - Oscar Wilde.

The researcher presents a child with a single marshmallow and tells them they can have two marshmallows if they wait for just a few minutes. Many children (and some grown-ups) cannot resist the temptation and munch the marshmallow. You might recognise this experiment from Haribo's starmix advert.

Psychologists hoped this experiment would glean insights into delayed gratification. Wikipedia describes delayed gratification as "the resistance to the temptation of an immediate pleasure in the hope of obtaining a valuable and long-lasting reward in the long term."

Wikipedia's argument against stuffing beans up your nose

Wikipedians have a saying - don't stuff beans up your nose. The saying has a secret article containing a button that temporarily disables Wikipedia's servers. Fortunately, no one has pushed the button because it would unleash carnage.

Being told not to do something sparks an interest to do the very thing we've been told not to do. Had the children of the marshmallow experiment not been told to resist temptation, only to wait, they may have shown better restraint abilities. Basil Fawlty illustrates this self-conflict very well by warning staff, "Don't mention the war," and his subsequent continuous mentionings.

As a communications consultant specialising in Wikipedia, I am used to clients sabotaging their project's long-term success in pursuit of short-term gratification. For example, if I advise a client not to edit Wikipedia's entry about themselves while they're on my books, they will invariably go and do it. Yet, my clients wouldn't know they could edit their pages if I hadn't thrown the idea out there.

Our Lustprinzip-driven, social media-doped culture has desensitised us to instant gratification. Therefore, we struggle to deny ourselves immediate pleasure and demonstrate restraint (I'm looking at you, Weatherspoons). Being told to not stuff beans up your nose makes nose bean stuffing the most irresistible activity blessed upon this Earth. 

With that in mind, does being told not to bite newcomers WP:NOBITING essentially dress Wikipedia's newcomers up in a delectable barbeque sauce waiting to get roasted? Maybe.

How can we be less impulsive Wikipedia editors?

It is difficult to tell when we're in a confrontation or conversion with the big red button marked "DO NOT PUSH" flashing us. Recognising situations where we perhaps shouldn't push further, no matter how enticing, helps us make better decisions both in life and on Wikipedia. Avoid falling for the instant gratification of pressing the hypothetical button by not responding to 'trolls.'

Should I stuff beans up my nose?

The take-home message of this blog is to exercise caution in the face of temptation. Awareness of our faults gives us the insight to overcome them.  

If we tell you not to do something, it's not because we're trying to tempt you but because we know the best approach in these circumstances. Our message 'don't fight the system' is not code for do as you please. Although perhaps the best advice one can give is no advice. We'll get back to you on that.

In the meantime, don't stuff beans up your nose, or maybe, do?