Learned Helplessness

We all went through a situation where we find ourselves helpless. It’s a feeling we cannot change it’s a negative situation that might be stuck feeling for a very long period. Unfortunately, the feeling of helpless is a belief that you can’t do it. It may be so strong that believing anything else would seem ridiculous. There is science behind this feeling called ‘Learned Helplessness’

In an experiment, Scientists take 2 groups of dogs. And give them 2 sets of electric shock

In 1st set, the first group of dogs cannot turn off the electric shock but for the second group of dogs, electric shock could be turned off by just moving.

In 2nd set, both groups of dogs can turn off the electric shock by simply moving. The second group of dogs turns the shock off by moving but the first group of dogs still silently receive the shock and don’t even try.

It seems that they just accept the shocks. Dogs weren’t helpless because they weren’t able to control their situation. They felt helpless because they believe that they couldn’t control the situation.

Let’s take an example, you are an aspiring painting but your limiting belief that says you might not be very talented. Deep down you truly believe that. So, you go to a painting competition. You compare your art with others. And tell yourself that they are more talented. You are thinking you don’t even have a chance to compete with them. When the winner was announced you failed. You tell yourself that you’re not a good painter.

Let’s look at the facts many successful painters lost painting competition. And many were told that they were not good. Losing one contest doesn’t make you a good or a bad painter. In this situation, the painting contest was similar to the experiment with dogs.

You experience a failure and you feel you couldn’t do it. When you face other opportunities in the future to overcome that failure. You feel you have no control over the outcome and you just give up before even trying it.

Learning helplessness occurs when an individual continuously faces a negative situation and stops trying to change their circumstance, even when they can do so.

Our failure leads to helpless which ultimately leads to more failure. Subsequent failure comes from the belief that you can’t even control this situation and the feeling of learning helplessness.

How to overcome learning helplessness?

Learned helplessness typically manifests as a lack of self-esteem, low motivation and persistence, the conviction of being inept, and failure. It is more common for people who have experienced repeated traumatic events such as childhood neglect and abuse or domestic violence.

People can push back against learned helplessness by practicing independence from a young age and by cultivating resilience, self-worth, and self-compassion. Engaging in activities that restore self-control can also be valuable. For example, an elderly person who feels helpless in the aging process can engage in small exercises that they know they can do to restore a sense of control.

Another example is having someone who inspires. Like Aung San Suu Kyi was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi for peaceful protest. When we see people doing the impossible thing we also get to inspire and do the same.