Learned Helplessness: Why We Don't Change The Things We Can Change.

Learned helplessness theory is the view that depression and related psychological states may result from a perceived absence of control over the outcome of a situation.

Humans have biologically evolved to adapt. And this isn't only related to our environmental or seasonal changes, sadly it correlates to situations and circumstances as well. When you try so many times to do something yet are unsuccessful, there is a possibility your mind tags it as impossible. While the conclusion itself might not deter you from making future attempts, it wanes your interest, passion, and diligence to do it until you eventually accept that it is truly impossible.

The worse part? When the right opportunities to successfully accomplish it surface, the part of you that remembers the trauma of failing kicks in and you antagonize it.

“I already tried so many times it just can’t be done”

“This is definitely a setup”

“It is too good to be true”

As normal as all these may seem, it is actually a psychological condition referred to as learned helplessness.

Learned helplessness refers to a mental state in which an organism forced to bear or endure aversive stimuli (fancy word for situations) that are painful or otherwise unpleasant, becomes unable or unwilling to avoid subsequent encounters with those stimuli, even if they are “escapable,” presumably because it has learned that it cannot. Learned helplessness occurs after a person has experienced a stressful situation repeatedly. They come to believe that they are unable to control or change the situation, so they do not try — even when opportunities for change become available.

They come to believe that they are unable to control or change the situation, so they do not try — even when opportunities for change become available.

They have “learned” to be helpless. Yes, that is a thing.

Once a person having this experience discovers that they cannot control events around them, they lose motivation. Even if an opportunity arises that allows the person to alter their circumstances, they do not take action. People experiencing learned helplessness are often less able to make decisions, get stressed easily, and are more prone to depression.

In a research work carried out by Prof Seligman and Prof Steven F in 1967, dogs were exposed to a series of electric shocks. The dogs that could not control the shocks eventually showed signs of depression and anxiety. Those that could press a lever to stop the shocks did not.

Eventually, the dogs were placed in another environment where they were exposed to shocks but were given an opportunity to jump over a barrier and escape it. You could guess what happened. The dogs didn't try to escape, they were petted, fed, and motivated to jump the barrier yet they didn't. They had learned to become helpless.

Often times when we think change is impossible, or a certain situation can not be changed it is because we have learned and adapted to being helpless.

Want to learn control?

Like and follow up on Part II here.