Hope Doesn't Float, It Swims

fancybrothers (65)in #science • 8 years ago

In the 1950s, university professor Curt Richter conducted a gruesome experiment with domesticated and wild rats.

Curt first took a dozen domesticated rats, put them into jars half filled with water, and watched them drown

The glass jar is very large therefore the mouse can't cling to its sides or jump out of it.

Richter then, calculated the amount of time they swam before they gave up. Of course, there was a difference between each mouse (on average 15 minutes ).

Then Richter re-experiment but with a twist.

When he noticed that the mouse is about to surrender, he took it out of the pot, dried it and left it to rest for a while .. Then he put it back in the water

Then he calculated the average time again.

Richter's results showed that removing or "saving" the rats just before drowning allowed those same rats to swim approximately 240x longer the next time they were put in the bucket.

There was a mouse that lasted for about 81 hours.

How did he get the rats to achieve a 240x greater effort? Easy, he gave the rats HOPE when he saved them the first time. If a rat brain can achieve these results, imagine the possibilities that exist with our children and students!

This story is often found in Positive Psychology as a sign of the importance of "hope and optimism".

It's obvious that most people can "do" more when they find encouragement .. and "stop" when they do not have enough appreciation.

If you like this post , *In a sarcastic tone* would you please upvote to help me make more money so i can buy cocaine?

Picture Credit: All taken from © pixabay.com

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