A short story today
which might, admittedly, make you wince.
Especially if you're a signed-up member of the RSPCA.
So reader beware…
Back in the 1960s, a series of experiments were done using dogs in electric chambers.
In Chamber One, dogs were given electric shocks which they could escape from by pressing a panel with their nose.
In Chamber
Two, dogs were given electric shocks but had no way to escape.
So far, so brutal.
In the next part of the experiment, all the dogs were placed in one, similar chamber.
This time, the chamber had a small wall the dogs could jump over to escape the shocks.
Can you guess what happened?
Turned out the dogs who’d already
experienced escaping from the shocks were able to jump the wall and escape this time too.
Whereas the dogs who’d learnt there was no escape did not. They passively accepted their fate.
Nowadays this phenomenon is known as
learned helplessness.
It’s the idea that the degree to which we believe we can change our situation isn't just a function of the situation, but also the extent to which we’ve learnt we have control over our circumstances.
The
implications are obvious.
Not just for dogs!
Learned helplessness acts as a kind of tether. It limits our world and stops us seeing that we can venture so much further than any of us think is possible.
But knowing this phenomenon exists and knowing how it plays out are two very different things.
Bottom line:
Not many
will argue with the fact they have blind spots. But few will know what their blind spots are.
Enter coaching.
Coaching is for those who don’t just suspect there’s more to see, but who’d also love to see it.
More info here:
https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com
That’s all for today.
- Tom