Circus Elephant

When I was growing up, I remember one time when I was about 14 or 15 staying up very late (not uncommon) and in the days before everybody had cable, watching TV.  I don't remember what time it was, but it was late enough so that the only thing that held my attention was an infomercial.  The salesman on the infomercial was hawking some sort of positive subliminal message tapes.  A good portion of the infomercial was dedicated to him explaining exactly what is subliminal messaging, and how it works.  I actually found it to be quite interesting (still do).

Anyway, he was describing at one point his experience growing up and being taken to the circus as a child.  While there, he happened to come upon one of the circus elephants being kept in the back with its trainer.  What he noticed immediately was that the only thing securing the elephant was a flimsy rope tied somewhat loosely to its foot (and perhaps not even attached to anything else).  This guy said he asked the trainer how he could be sure such a weak rope could hold such a large powerful animal, who it seemed could break free of its "bondage" and run off as it pleased.

The trainer explained that when the elephant was a baby, it had been secured at all times by a tough wire-rope, which the baby elephant at that time, could not have broken out of.  Therefore, in the adult elephant's mind, it now "accepted" that as long as there was something like that rope around its foot, it would not be able to move or escaped as it pleased.

How many of us (including myself) are still to this day tightly bound/secured to the imaginary ropes in our minds that were instilled upon us growing up?