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Dog experiment story from the book I’m currently reading..

There’s an important study that gives insight into women’s loss of self-protective instinct. In the early 1960s, experimental psychologist Martin Seligman, Ph.D., and others conducted animal experiments to determine something about the “flight instinct” in humans. In one experiment they wired half of the bottom of a large cage, so that a dog placed in the cage would receive a shock each time it set foot on the right side. The dog quickly learned to stay on the left side of the cage.

Next, the left side of the cage was wired for the same purpose and the right side as safe from shocks. The dog reoriented quickly and learned to stay on the right side of the cage. Then, the entire floor of the cage was wired to give random shocks, so that no matter where the dog lay or stood it would eventually receive a shock. The dog acted confused at first, and then it panicked. Finally the dog “gave up” and lay down, taking the shocks as they came, no longer trying to escape them or outsmart them.

But the experiment was not over. Next, the door cage was opened. The scientists expected the door to rush out, but it did not flee. even though it could vacate the cage at will, the dog lay there being randomly shocked. From this, scientists speculated that when a creature is exposed to violence, it will tend to adapt to that disturbance, so that when the violence ceases or the creature is allowed freedom, the heathy instinct to flee is hugely diminished, and the creature stay put instead.

Thinking about art creators in general, government cuts to arts funding, conservative governments, boards and councils, section 18C of the racial discrimination act and why do some politicians want it changed.. it can be a tough and rough ride for creators. Nevertheless of the systems, beliefs or obstacles, one thing never changes  – the power of creation and passion because of it’s very nature does not ever die.

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