Creative Hopelessness and PTSD: The Person in the Hole Metaphor

Another classic metaphor that’s frequently used to point out the potential that the struggle is actually part of the problem is called the “person in the hole” metaphor.

Imagine that you are placed in the middle of a field with a blindfold on and you’re given a bag of tools to carry. You’re told that your job is to run around this field blindfolded. That’s how you’re supposed to live life and that’s all the instruction that you’re given. And so you do what you’re told. Now, unbeknownst to you, in this field, there are a number of widely spaced fairly deep holes. You don’t know that at first but they’re in every direction. So, it’s inevitable that at some point you will eventually fall into one. But you’re just following the rules. Running around the field blindfolded with this bag of tools.

Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change (pp.101–102). Guilford Press.

So, maybe first you go 4 steps to the left, you go 2 steps to the right, and you run 50 yards. But sooner or later, you fall into a large hole. So, what’s the first thing that you might do if you fall into a hole, a really big hole that you can’t just crawl out of? Well, you might start by trying to investigate the size and the characteristics of your hole. You’re blindfolded, so you can’t really see anything, but you feel around to see the size and the shape of the hole, maybe sort of get a sense of what type of dirt it’s made of, and so on. And sure enough, you feel all the edges that you can feel, that you can’t climb out, and there are no escape routes that you can find.

Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change (pp.101–102). Guilford Press.