Learned Helplessness: A Hopeless, Deep Chasm

Learned helplessness is one of the worst gaps we can fall into. It is the perfect breeding ground for anxiety and depression. And, in fact, it is both a consequence and a cause of a lack of self-confidence (“Why cause a conflict by expressing one’s own opinion if it is of no use at all?”). It makes us dead souls in empty shells.

This state could be summed up in the following sentences: “whatever you do, it is wrong” or “whatever you do, it doesn’t matter, it is of no use; the result is always the same. ”

And the helplessness thus learned arises. The helplessness we have learned after trying different courses of action and seeing that they do not affect the consequences. Consequently, we no longer have the motivation to react to the situation.

You may have ever been in a situation like this, such as at work or in a relationship. In a situation where another person acts as a judge of whether your actions are right or wrong.

It is neither rational nor consistent. Whatever you do, it’s almost always going to be wrong, and when it’s not wrong, you don’t understand at all why that’s or how it’s okay. So you can’t repeat it no matter how hard you try.

Learned helplessness makes us give up the reins

Underlying this inconsistent attitude is the audible “I am the one who evaluates your actions. I set the rules. ” People who bring about learned helplessness in other people are those who have influence over them and make assessments without explanation.

What does a person learn after receiving this kind of treatment? That effort is not worth it, as the consequence is haphazard. He feels that no matter what he does, he can’t control the outcome.

This lack of control over what is going to happen is torturous and very restrictive, as the person feels that he or she is apparently unable to do anything about it.

This is often the beginning of psychological violence. “I decide how you feel, not you. I order, not you. ”

Leaving is a solution, but learned helplessness makes it difficult

Martin Seligman encountered this phenomenon in the 70s. In an experiment that could no longer be done today because of its unethical nature, Seligman found that dogs that were exposed to electric shocks, regardless of their attempts to escape, eventually adopted a passive attitude towards them. They submitted to suffer in silence.

This phenomenon was soon linked to the attitudes and causes of depression in many people who entered the depths of depression. Anxiety, depression, and a complete lack of motivation eventually begin to control a person’s attitude and behavior. Eventually, he becomes completely passive.

Thus, if the opportunity to change the situation comes, the person does not see it, but lets it pass by. His faith and hope are gone, for he feels that whatever he does, whatever direction he chooses, he does not get the results he wants.

This psychic phenomenon is very powerful as it completely robs a person’s ability to function. It takes creativity to see options and solve problems. It makes it blind to solutions to problems. This destructive state of mind is extremely difficult to change.

Helplessness captures thoughts, behavior, and emotions

Many people feel unable to get out of a situation that is annoying to them. They are completely conditioned by this learned helplessness of helplessness that captures thoughts, behavior, and emotions.

To break this growing spiral, one must go to the heart of the problem. You can’t stay on the surface. It is of no use to just tell someone to leave their prison by saying “how can you not see the problem?”.

Such a person does not want to feel this way. He did not strive for this. So he has to understand how he ended up there. How did he end up giving away the reins of his own destiny? The solution is to empower him, to give him back control of his own life. The power that the man who abused him sometimes stole from him.

However, his life has always been his own. He just needs help getting it back. Understanding what has happened and accepting it is the first step on this path.