Monday, July 12, 2004
The Golf Lesson
I am a terrible golfer. I've got a nice set of clubs. I've taken a handful of lessons. I enjoy hitting buckets on the driving range, and I even play a few holes with Lee from time to time. But even in a best ball scramble, I would not be an asset.
Yet as bad as I am, I occasionally hit an incredible shot. They are stunningly satisfying. The feel of solid contact, the ball singing off the clubface, the elegant trajectory--these keep me coming back for more. The psychological term for this phenomenon is "intermittent reinforcement," and proportionally for me, there's a lot of "intermittent" to a little "reinforcement."
Boo doesn't know anything about golf, but he does know something about intermittent reinforcement. Boo managed to feed himself for the first time today. His macaroni and cheese experiment was pretty hit or miss, with lots more misses than hits. But when he hit, oh, what a reaction! First there was surprise. Then confusion. Then delight. I'd guess 8 or 10 elbows found their way to his mouth. He'll be back for more.
The gallery was very enthusiastic about Boo's latest accomplishment, too. Harley sat obediently at his feet, benefiting from each miss. Max, who does a mean impersonation of Boo, parroted his every sound. And if you'd been watching Boo's mother? Well, you'd have thought she just hit her first hole in one.
Yet as bad as I am, I occasionally hit an incredible shot. They are stunningly satisfying. The feel of solid contact, the ball singing off the clubface, the elegant trajectory--these keep me coming back for more. The psychological term for this phenomenon is "intermittent reinforcement," and proportionally for me, there's a lot of "intermittent" to a little "reinforcement."
Boo doesn't know anything about golf, but he does know something about intermittent reinforcement. Boo managed to feed himself for the first time today. His macaroni and cheese experiment was pretty hit or miss, with lots more misses than hits. But when he hit, oh, what a reaction! First there was surprise. Then confusion. Then delight. I'd guess 8 or 10 elbows found their way to his mouth. He'll be back for more.
The gallery was very enthusiastic about Boo's latest accomplishment, too. Harley sat obediently at his feet, benefiting from each miss. Max, who does a mean impersonation of Boo, parroted his every sound. And if you'd been watching Boo's mother? Well, you'd have thought she just hit her first hole in one.
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