From the archive

Be a monster

There's a phrase, “learned helplessness.” And to me, the scariest thing about it is the possibility of getting so used to having no influence that you stop noticing even the things you can still affect. It didn't work before. Then it didn't work again. You were stopped, punished, ridiculed. Now every suggestion to try something meets a ready-made “there's no point.” Maybe there really was no point back then. What about now? Have you tested this particular possibility? With these people? With the skills you have today? Or has an old rejection been given the lifelong right to speak for every future attempt?