Few books have impacted my perspective on human psychologically and behavior. A little over a year ago I read a book by Dr. Martin Seligman called, "Learned Optimism". Seligman was intrigued by an experiment he had witnessed involving dogs who exhibited inexplicable behaviors. His curiosity led him to create the "Shuttle box" experiment. Without going into great detail, the two-phased experiment went along these lines.
Phase 1: 'Group A' dogs were individually placed into a harness with a bar in front of them. Each dog was then administered a mild electroshock periodically. After some time, the dogs realized that by tapping the bar, the shocks would stop. The experiment was repeated with a second group of dogs (Group B) but with one great exception, there was no bar provided to stop the shocks.
Phase 2: Group A dogs were now individually placed put into a shuttlebox having two compartments with a small barrier in the middle. Again, a shock was administered periodically and after some time each dog got up, stepped over the barrier and moved to the other side of the box where the shocks stopped. Group B dogs were then placed individually into the same shuttlebox. The electroshocks were again administered periodically. Unlike the dogs in Group A which chose moved to the other side of the box, the Group B dogs didn't; they just laid there and whimpered.
Seligman concluded that since Group B had learned to be 'helpless' in the first phase of the experiment, they didn't move in the second phase. In other words, the dogs were conditioned to feel helpless when they couldn't stop the shocks while in the harness. So now, with the harness removed, the dogs just simply gave up. They had lost their 'optimism'; the belief that change was possible! Therefore, they just laid there and whimpered. Now we as human beings don't whimper, we whine! Many of us complain about what's wrong with our lives, careers or relationships. And much like the dogs in Group B, instead of doing something about, we just mentally lie down and whine instead of getting UP and moving to the other side of life's box.
As we look forward to a new year, I want you to commit to 'getting up' and moving to the other side of the box. If there is something you've been wanting to do, do it! If there is something you've been wanting to try, try it! The only harness holding you back from success is the one wrapped around your mind.
Victor Gonzalez, top Hispanic motivational speaker and author of "The LOGIC of Success". For more info go to: www.thelogicofsuccess.com or by email www.thelogicofsuccess.com
limo prices to midway Crystal Lake west of Randal .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareGet professional help There's no rule that says you have... Read More
What would one initially think about someone who dropped out... Read More
Many among us, on many instances, have the habit of... Read More
Most of us fear change, because - as we've all... Read More
Hey Future Millionaire,There's so much value in reading about the... Read More
Does your life feel less than fulfilling? Are you waiting... Read More
No matter what goals and dreams you desire, there's a... Read More
I see it happen all too often on the internet... Read More
Here are the 3 elements of the "Purpose" leg in... Read More
Dr. Deepak Chopra is a well-known author of more than... Read More
Choose a personal theme song and soundtrack that stirs you... Read More
Everybody suffers rejection at some time or another in their... Read More
I was talking about my business to a stranger the... Read More
In terms of life success, there are four pretty obvious... Read More
One of the questions that I am asked most often... Read More
Hold a "progressive" goal party If you have a group... Read More
I can tell, with 95% accuracy, if you are going... Read More
Unfortunately we come into contact with negativity everyday. We can't... Read More
Thoughts are very powerful. An intention held long and hard... Read More
Understand and apply this one secret to your own life,... Read More
There is a disquieting trend emerging among women particularly -... Read More
Jobs are heating up. We're all feeling the pinch of... Read More
Five-time gold medal-winning figure skater, Jenny Kilmer, has won the... Read More
Did you see or hear about 'The Masters' golf tournament... Read More
With the long-term trend of protecting employees' individual self esteem... Read More
taxi o'hare Auburn ..According to Bill Gates there are 3 keys to success... Read More
Not only do we communicate with ourselves, but our cells... Read More
So, how can you succeed online without ever experiencing the... Read More
Everyone wants to be successful. However, many people often rely... Read More
Bring in the big guns People love to be needed,... Read More
Imagine living in the world that Helen Keller found herself... Read More
Taking action is the strongest way to create success in... Read More
Asking questions is one of the most basic ways that... Read More
As a work-life and career coach, I regularly work with... Read More
In earlier generations it was common to keep a diary... Read More
I'll let you in on a little secret...life delivers pretty... Read More
The HungryIn May of 2005 there were over 2 million... Read More
When my neighbor's child was about 8, he decided that... Read More
I am sure that you're familiar with the old formula... Read More
"The principal purpose of business is to create a customer."... Read More
There are twelve necessary elements involved in achieving success:1. Spend... Read More
Get your act together Make sure that you have all... Read More
Wealthy people share common traits. That's why they are wealthy.... Read More
Revolution:a sudden, radical, or complete change a fundamental change in... Read More
Response means "to answer" and that idea, in its purest... Read More
Is it possible to get rich quick using the power... Read More
Being organised is a major step to success and the... Read More
Many different daily tasks require a strategic process to be... Read More
What do you need to have for a successful business?... Read More
Since belief always precedes action, simply changing your beliefs can... Read More
Success |