Learned Helpness
- evilponderingartic
- Oct 20, 2025
- 1 min read
Learned Helplessness is when someone feels like they have no control over their position after a string of bad things that happened out of their control. Martin Seligman's key research in the 1970s established that dogs put to inescapable shocks showed no desire to flee, even when escape was possible. In the same way, people who keep failing or getting angry without things getting better may give up trying. People may give up looking for answers at this point and become hopeless, even if they still have the chance to do something.
This idea can help us understand sadness and what motivates people. It means that feeling useless could stop people from working hard and learning. If a student fails tests over and over again, they might learn to give up and not try anymore. Clinically, it has been linked to depression and PTSD, in which people view themselves as trapped by their surroundings. Therapies frequently reduce emotions of helplessness by reinforcing a sense of agency. For example, cognitive-behavioral therapy assists people in seeing and questioning their views that they are powerless, as well as teaching them tactics that emphasize their own strength. In practice, learned helplessness highlights the need of supporting surroundings; mentors and instructors may alleviate it by recognizing tiny successes and encouraging coping methods. This concept contributes to the development of programs that strengthen individuals, such as teaching them how to be "learned optimistic" and providing them with improved problem-solving skills.
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