hummingwolf | (no subject)

In its most basic form, optimism is the belief that the actions you take have effects on the world around you. This basic version of optimism is a prerequisite for directed action of any kind. We are born with it. But this optimism can be driven out in the laboratory through inducement of learned helplessness. Scientists can use electric shocks to teach lab rats that no matter what they do, they will be shocked. After a while, the rats get the message and cease to attempt to do anything at all.

Speaking of rats, one experiment late last year in a Japanese lab had infant rats decapitated and their heads transplanted onto adult rats' thighs. "A transplanted brain can develop as normal for at least three weeks, and the mouth of the head will move, as if it is trying to drink milk, the team reports." Nice picture, that, of the infant rat heads working and working for something they won't get.

I've been feeling awfully ratlike this week.

That said, I haven't completely learned the message of helplessness yet. I managed to make a phone call and get a deadline extended. Still don't know what I'm going to do, but have got a little more time in which to do it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mmm. That reminds me of something I experienced a while ago, that I can't quite talk about yet (be grateful for that because it's not very pleasant). Actually your whole situation has been reminding me of that time. I can't give you any practical advice because the practical aspects of the two low points are very different.

But I did learn something: a person can survive anything simply by not dying. And not dying is the key. If you're not dead, you have a future. And if you have a future, anything could be in it. Absolutely anything. In fact there are probably some things in it which, if someone told you about them right now, you'd find utterly unbelievable and irrelevant. I mean, look at me. I'm a comic book artist. Gah, it still blows my mind. How could I possibly have gotten from that dark dark place to here? And yeah, it took me a long time, but it still counts.

I know these aren't the most bright sunny words anyone has ever spoken, but of all the things I forgot, I do remember what it was like to be in such a miserable place and going even lower. I can't say you'll be the same or better for having done it. My experience turned me from a sweet, gentle child into something resembling a monster. I can still pretend to be sweet, but I'll never be my old self again. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger and harder and uglier. That's life.

So, um, I guess that's my warped way of caring. Here, I'll give you a Zephyr icon because he spent a lot of time in low points too. That's what he's for. :)

Thank you. :-)

My mom finally admitted to me that at one point she had over 250 pet rats. She tries to keep the males and females separated, but every once in a while makes a mistake. Now she is down to about 50.

Sending yogic thoughts ~~AUM!~~

May your difficulties melt away like a popsicle on Venus.

Thank you.

::looks for way to send difficulties to Venus without spending actual money::