Scott Barry Kaufman

You were halfway there. Martin Seligman in the 70s and 80s did a whole series of studies starting with dogs and rats, and then they eventually went to humans. And I'll get to humans in a second. But they found that in dogs, you continually shock a dog, and then you open up the cage. So you keep them locked in a cage, and this is delightful, right?

You were halfway there. Martin Seligman in the 70s and 80s did a whole series of studies starting with dogs and rats, and then they eventually went to humans. And I'll get to humans in a second. But they found that in dogs, you continually shock a dog, and then you open up the cage. So you keep them locked in a cage, and this is delightful, right?

This sounds like psychopathic behavior, doesn't it? Yeah. Um, on the part of the experimenter, but you continually shock a dog while they're locked inside a cage. And then you look to see at what point, um, when you open up the cage, do they walk out? Because you, you, you, you give them the option to be free at some point.

This sounds like psychopathic behavior, doesn't it? Yeah. Um, on the part of the experimenter, but you continually shock a dog while they're locked inside a cage. And then you look to see at what point, um, when you open up the cage, do they walk out? Because you, you, you, you give them the option to be free at some point.

This sounds like psychopathic behavior, doesn't it? Yeah. Um, on the part of the experimenter, but you continually shock a dog while they're locked inside a cage. And then you look to see at what point, um, when you open up the cage, do they walk out? Because you, you, you, you give them the option to be free at some point.

And you look to see how many times do you shock them before they no longer walk out of that cage, even though they can be free. And so they found that dogs pretty quickly were in helplessness. It doesn't take that many shocks for a dog to give up. and not walk out when the doors open. But what was interesting is when they got to humans, they found, and they had to completely redo the theory.

And you look to see how many times do you shock them before they no longer walk out of that cage, even though they can be free. And so they found that dogs pretty quickly were in helplessness. It doesn't take that many shocks for a dog to give up. and not walk out when the doors open. But what was interesting is when they got to humans, they found, and they had to completely redo the theory.

And you look to see how many times do you shock them before they no longer walk out of that cage, even though they can be free. And so they found that dogs pretty quickly were in helplessness. It doesn't take that many shocks for a dog to give up. and not walk out when the doors open. But what was interesting is when they got to humans, they found, and they had to completely redo the theory.

So they have a paper 50 years later where they say they got it completely wrong, completely opposite. In humans, it seems like learned helplessness is the default state in humans. There's something very primal about that where we default to learned helplessness. And what we have to learn is hope. Hope is an intentional process that has to be learned. So you ask, why is it so seductive?

So they have a paper 50 years later where they say they got it completely wrong, completely opposite. In humans, it seems like learned helplessness is the default state in humans. There's something very primal about that where we default to learned helplessness. And what we have to learn is hope. Hope is an intentional process that has to be learned. So you ask, why is it so seductive?

So they have a paper 50 years later where they say they got it completely wrong, completely opposite. In humans, it seems like learned helplessness is the default state in humans. There's something very primal about that where we default to learned helplessness. And what we have to learn is hope. Hope is an intentional process that has to be learned. So you ask, why is it so seductive?

Well, there's something so primal about the rewards we know we're going to get if we signal victimhood. It is something that just through the, we're such a social species and we know that the person who's perceived as the victim throughout the course of human evolution got a lot of support. And of course, there are real victims. And of course, we need to say that.

Well, there's something so primal about the rewards we know we're going to get if we signal victimhood. It is something that just through the, we're such a social species and we know that the person who's perceived as the victim throughout the course of human evolution got a lot of support. And of course, there are real victims. And of course, we need to say that.

Well, there's something so primal about the rewards we know we're going to get if we signal victimhood. It is something that just through the, we're such a social species and we know that the person who's perceived as the victim throughout the course of human evolution got a lot of support. And of course, there are real victims. And of course, we need to say that.

It should almost have to not be said, but we obviously should make clear that we're too compassionate humans. And of course, there are real victims. But there also are... So a victim mindset is independent of victimization. You can have real victimization and not harness a victim mindset about it. I have a friend...

It should almost have to not be said, but we obviously should make clear that we're too compassionate humans. And of course, there are real victims. But there also are... So a victim mindset is independent of victimization. You can have real victimization and not harness a victim mindset about it. I have a friend...

It should almost have to not be said, but we obviously should make clear that we're too compassionate humans. And of course, there are real victims. But there also are... So a victim mindset is independent of victimization. You can have real victimization and not harness a victim mindset about it. I have a friend...

Who's really cool and he has like no arms or legs and he has two hooks um, tom nash and he He's like i'm not a victim He had uh, he had a meningococcal disease that that caused him, uh to lose Uh to become quadriplegic And he's like i'm not a victim. I actually I love these hooks. He like rolls up in style with them, you know um

Who's really cool and he has like no arms or legs and he has two hooks um, tom nash and he He's like i'm not a victim He had uh, he had a meningococcal disease that that caused him, uh to lose Uh to become quadriplegic And he's like i'm not a victim. I actually I love these hooks. He like rolls up in style with them, you know um

Who's really cool and he has like no arms or legs and he has two hooks um, tom nash and he He's like i'm not a victim He had uh, he had a meningococcal disease that that caused him, uh to lose Uh to become quadriplegic And he's like i'm not a victim. I actually I love these hooks. He like rolls up in style with them, you know um