The elephant and the twig

the long version

"Have you ever heard the story of The Elephant and The Twig? In India they train obedience in young elephants (to stop them from escaping) by tying them to a huge immovable object, like a tree, when they are still very young. The tree is so large that no matter how hard the baby elephant pulls and tugs it cannot break free. This develops what is known as 'learned helplessness' in the creature. After trying so hard and for so long to break the hold, only to be thwarted time and again, it eventually believes that, no matter what it does, it cannot escape. Ultimately, as a fully-grown adult weighing several tons, they can tie it to a twig and it won't escape, in fact it won't even try. Do you ever feel like this? That you are tied to an immovable object and can't break free? This book shows you that, when it comes down to it, what ties you and prevents you from realising your potential is only a 'twig'."--Www.ebooks.com.