Analogies of Classical Conditioning
The Elephant, Northern Pike, Flea and ME!
Method of Operating = Classical Conditioning
Hey guys! Have you ever had so many thoughts floating about in your head that never seem to make sense when you talk out loud and make you sound a bit crazy, but wonder if anyone else is thinking the same thing? I am right there with you! Society has created this image of what is "accepted" by the norm and anything outside of that makes everyone look at you in a strange way. That can be very frustrating for those of us with creativity just wanting to burst from our souls and chase after our passions! Now if you have taken a psychology class, then you must be familiar with the term, "classical conditioning". Don't worry, I am not here to lecture you with boring scientific terms, instead get excited to read about some analogies, such as "The Baby Elephant", "Northern Pike", and "The Flea", that will have your mind racing with different ideas and thoughts encouraging you to chase after those dreams you have kept up bottled in a jar and make them a reality!
Conditioning PSYCHOLOGY - Click Here
Conditioning
PSYCHOLOGY
WRITTEN BY: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
PSYCHOLOGY
WRITTEN BY: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
What is Classical Conditioning?
Watch this video to understand the more scientific meaning behind classical conditioning so you can get to the fun analogies and better understand your method of operating!
https://youtu.be/hhqumfpxuzI
The Baby Elephant Syndrome
How many of you have ever felt so conditioned by your past you feel like you can never break free? I think many of you will beable to relate to the story of the baby elephant. When elephants are born into captivity, it is chained to a tree and tries over and over to break free. As time goes by and the baby elephant realizes it will never get the chance to escape, it eventually gives up hope. Everyone in life goes through hardships with our first instinct to get through and fight it even though some may feel so impossible. Eventually as people, whether we notice or not we are much alike the baby elephant and slowly cooperate to the norm because it is easier. For the rest of the elephant's life it will never try to break free again. Even if it is fully grown and it is just tied up by a rope, think of how quickly it could snap that cord and be free, but since it failed once, it will not even put in the effort to try again because it has been conditioned. Think about it, what in your past has trained you to stop trying? We cannot let these hardships define the rest of our life. To live our best lives we need to stop living in the past and go foward and break that rope with our passion and hearts and not let anything get in our way!
Click on this link to further study the baby elephant syndrome!
https://rubypjohnson.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/do-you-have-the-baby-elephant-syndrome/
The Northern Pike
Just like the elephant, a fish can also condition itself. In the story of the northern pike, who is a fierce type of fish, it was put into an aquarium with minnows to eat. It devoured them all and then a glass divider was put in the tank- minnows on one side, the pike on the other. It tried to eat the minnows but over and over would hit its head on the glass divider. Eventually it stopped trying and the scientists removed the divider. The minnows then swam amongst the whole tank but the pike did not move. He did not try to eat the minnows because attempting to eat a minnow meant being left in pain. It starved itself to death. When do we stop trying to do things? Do we starve ourselves so much that we miss out on happiness and joy? Do not let one small divider keep you from happiness and chasing after what you want!
Check out this link to read more about the pike.
The Flea
Fun fact- a flea can jump 36 inches high, but if you take a flea and place it in a jar with a lid it will continue to jump and hit its head. Eventually, the flea will condition itself to jump right below the lid. Now, if you take off the jar and allow that flea to jump the 36 inches, it will only allow itself to jump as high as the jar it was placed in, going the rest of its life only jumping that high. If that flea has babies, guess what! It will teach the babies to only jump as high as it was conditioned to, even though the babies are capable of 36 inches. Those babies will go the rest of their lives only ever jumping as high as their mom. Who or what in your life has kept you from reaching new heights? Always surround yourself by people that will encourage you to chase after the impossible to make it realtiy. Do not let anyone ever tell you your dreams are too big! Remember, surrounding yourself with those that do not live up to their highest potential, will have effects on you too! Don't be those baby fleas that never try to reach their highest capability. No dream is ever too big!
Here is a link to further read about this analogy.
https://signalbordon.org/2018/10/16/are-you-like-a-flea-in-a-jar/
Watch this fun video of Steve Harvey connecting the story of the flea to your own personal life. And see the video of the flea in a glass jar for a visual!
https://youtu.be/pkha3MLCzhM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK2Hd9a05HM
How Have I Been Conditioned?
I relate to the elephant, northern pike, and flea, because looking back and observing my own life, there have been many cases where I have stopped myself from reaching my highest potential or having others believing that I cannot reach my dreams. It is hard to come to terms with the fact that I may be just like many of these stories, but the best thing you can do for yourself comes to that realization, and then do something about it! Take action in creating a better life for yourself and prove to those who never believed in you that you are capable of all things! We are all conditioned in one way or another to believe that what society is telling us to be true, but have you ever challenged society in your own life? Do not fall into the pit that many mediocre people do where thinking what everyone else does is right. We are not robots, were our own people. We all have different souls, imagination, and creativity. How boring would the world be if everyone was the same! I encourage everyone to challenge their own thinking and the norm of society.
https://youtu.be/H6LEcM0E0io
The Northern Pike is ME
THE LESSON OF THE PIKE
Recently, I read about an experiment with a northern pike. Scientists placed the fish in an aquarium that had a glass divider separating the pike from a dozen minnows on the other side of the partition.
Recently, I read about an experiment with a northern pike. Scientists placed the fish in an aquarium that had a glass divider separating the pike from a dozen minnows on the other side of the partition.
In Closing...
The analogy of the baby elephant, northern pike, flea and me; is the simple fact that we are all conditioned in some way because of events in our life. Understanding this and conquering our own psychological limitations is the key to break free from these barriers and live a full life. To change our M.O. (Method of Operating / Modus operandi as my dad says) means to break the chains of our own conditing.
What chains of classical conditioning are you a prisoner of?
Can you relate to the baby elephant, northern pike or flea?
When will you start changing your own thinking?