 The specific term "gumption trap" was coined by Robert M. Pirsig in his 1974 novel "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", and the associated concept plays an important part in the practical application of his Metaphysics of Quality.Although Pirsig's term has seen little use outside his work, the associated concept has received significant attention in mainstream psychology under the label "learned helplessness" proposed by psychologist Martin Seligman.Pirsig refers to two types of gumption traps