Comments on: Trust Me!

By: Steve Lewis

Steve Lewis — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 07:20:39 +0000

Dean-or anyone else for that matter-if you’re interested in learning more about learned helplessness, Martin Seligman-the guy who pioneered the studies on the topic-wrote a book called Learned Optimism that is just great. I won’t go into any detail here but his studies with swimming mice (you read that right, that was NOT a typo) were fascinating.

A little off topic but still a great read.

By: dwsmith

dwsmith — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:56:41 +0000

“Learned Helplessness” Wow, does that describe all the myths I talked about with writers. Spot on the money. I did not realize that was an actual named psychological phenomenon. Stunning.

Describes exactly how agents deal with writers, like they are helpless. And writers believe they are, so they go along with it. Amazing.

Thank heavens the indie movement came along when it did to teach a few writers to stand up on their own again. Otherwise in a few more generations all writers would have been in beds, hooked up to tubes, unable to do anything except type their 250 words per day to get their novel done per year. There’s a far too real science fiction world.

Thanks, Brad.

By: Brad R. Torgersen

Brad R. Torgersen — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:22:20 +0000

Recent years have seen studies done on a newly-labeled psychological phenomenon called learned helplessness. When grown adults — often in groups — have spent so much time having someone else take care of them and handle all of their concerns, if ever they’re faced with the prospect of assuming responsibility for themselves, they become angry and fearful. Even if it means their taking responsibility for themselves may result in a significant improvement in their daily lives. They don’t want to do it. They’ve been trained into thinking someone else is going to always do it for them — that it’s not only necessary, it’s vital that someone else do it for them. And they will cling to this mentality in the face of even life-threatening circumstances.

By: joemontana

joemontana — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 02:09:17 +0000

Wait. Wait. Wait. Do you mean agents might actually screw someone????

I have to say, KKR has some seriously great advice on her blog. Anyone thinking about jumping into the business is a damn fool if they don;t read that and Dean’s various KTSC, NWoP and TLaP posts!!!

By: John Walters

John Walters — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:33:16 +0000

Dean,

You and Kris complement each other well. Together you make a powerful teaching team. Thanks for all the help.