Learned Helplessness

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by wolf

Dad is not tearing apart walls looking for transmitters, he isn't building a landing pad for the venusians in his back yard, nor is he turning into a wombat on nights of the new moon.

First off, I'd have to say this guy needs to get motivated. Oh, sure, it might take some time to work up to the wombat transformation, but he could easily be working on that landing pad in his spare time. A little concrete, some patio blocks, couple of klieg lights and a teaspoon of neutronium, and he's halfway there.

Stress is bad. Extreme stress is extremely bad. I've been there. Not pretty.

[Cyclefrance]

Originally Posted by wolf

it wasn't just the boy's overwhelming naivete.

Who knows what the background was to all this - boys emotional homelife, father's general state of mind, how this presented on a day-to-day basis. Sounds like the boy had a temporary mind flip as a result of finding himself in a situation he could not handle. The most unimportant, relatively trivial and essentially selfish thoughts that rushed into his mind being communicated.

The mind can play nasty tricks in moments of stress and take over from rational behaviour. Nothing so bad as this, but I can still recall how when I was 15, flying for the first time (yes, all right, they had commercial flights even that long ago!) and on a particularly bad flight. We hit an air pocket or something during an electrical storm and the plane dropped about a thousand feet. Stuff went everywhere. I was really s**t scared and my mind was telling me I had to get off that plane. Came to my senses when someone asked me why I had unbuckled my seat belt and was standing up to get out of my seat, my eyes set on the aircraft door. Spooky.

[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by marichiko

HAHA! The lad is the merest pupster when it comes to creating sad stories.

I don't really need to say anything to make this funny, do I?

[xoxoxoBruce]

I think the boy was upset because unlike his sister, he backed the wrong horse.

Originally Posted by wolf

If you're going to be serious, please be serious.

In this case only stupidity has been identified as being genetically transmitted.

I didn't, incidentally, say dad was crazy-crazy. I said he needed treatment.

What? You're never going PC on me, are you Wolf?

Fine, I'll be serious. I never said anything about genetics. It may have seemed that way, since I wrote "from one generation to the next." I apologize for my unclear wording. Environmental conditions play as greater or greater role in emotional dysfunction as genetics does.

I was merely commenting that a parent who lacks coping skills to the extent tha he finds himself having to spend several days on a psychiatric unit, has probably not been able to give his children adequate coping skills either. (I'm assuming the father was not recently held hostage at gun point or experienced some other extreme event that would put ANYBODY on the psych ward).

I was actually thinking of the ax murderer when I made my original reply. The A.M. was present for his eldest daughter's first three years of life - in fact, he was her primary care giver up to the time she was almost 4 - until the A.M. absconded with a younger woman and deserted his wife (then pregnant with his second daughter) and little girl. (I've been finding out all kinds of horrid information about the AM since I am trying to get together evidence for a case that the DA will accept). Anyhow, the daughter born AFTER the AM left seems normal in every way - in fact she excels. Got a scholarship to a private colllege, got accepted to med school, goes rock climbing, and has an active social life. The daughter raised by the AM in her 1st three years still lives with her mom at age 26, has a brand new car that she's afraid to drive anywhere, works in a video store, and has never been on a date in her life. Go figure.

There. Serious enough for you?

[NICOTINEGUN]

The cool thing is you could probably get the kid's car for a great price if you sell him on the idea he is going to starve to death unless he sells it immediately.

[mrnoodle]

NG, you're active military in Iraq, right? Surely you guys could find a use for a strapping young lad of this caliber.

[wolf]

Three words: Live Fire Practice.

Another two: Mine Detector.

I swear, it's all he'd be good for.

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by wolf

Three words: Live Fire Practice.

Another two: Mine Detector.

I swear, it's all he'd be good for.

I was laboring under the delusion that you were compassionate , wolf!

Good to know you're more like me: Heartless Wench City!

Oh, and I agree. About him being good for target, etc. True.

ummmmm...

My bet's on Wolf, she's got you out-gunned, Brianna.

[Trilby]

I'm sorry, Mari--I don't get it. I'm currently more stupid than ever. ie-
Uber-Dumb. Naturally wolf has me out-gunned. That's the joke. I'm stupid.

Lots of folks will endorse me! LOTS!

[Trilby]

Plus, Mari--you're mean. For a member of the intelligensia. And for a librarian. And whatever the hell else you are.

Hell, Brianna, I'll endorse you. Just trying to say that you're a different sort of tough girl than Wolf. And you wouldn't believe the number of mean librarians out there. Some of 'em are downright EVIL! Don't let that hair pulled back in a bun and spectacles fool you!

[Trilby]

I've never let looks fool or bother me.

you're intelligent, mari, but you don't share it. You aim it.

And my ignorance can be easily corrected. Your arrogance and elitism is not so easily overcome.

Yeah, I know. Its a heavy burden, but SOMEONE's gotta carry it. Might as well be me.