The Phenomenon of Learned Helplessness

Can a person influence their fate, or is it predetermined? In fact, this question has been the subject of debate among philosophers for many centuries. Supporters of free will believe that people shape their own future through their actions. Determinists believe that a person's future is predetermined and cannot be changed, regardless of what they do.

Are you a determinist or a supporter of free will? Find out by taking our quick test «Free Will vs Determinism».

It is quite difficult to imagine that a supporter of free will would stop fighting for their life. But even this is possible under certain circumstances. A determinist who believes their actions have no effect is far more likely to develop learned helplessness.

Learned helplessness is a psychological state in which a person feels unable to influence the events in their life and stops trying to change anything. A person in this state believes from the outset that they will not succeed. The term was first coined in 1967 by American psychologist Martin Seligman, who described this condition after a series of experiments on animals.

Learned helplessness can affect many areas of a person's life. Here are 10 common signs:

• A constant feeling of hopelessness and lack of control over events in life.
• Complete or partial loss of motivation and interest in achieving goals.
• A pronounced sense of helplessness even when real opportunities for improvement exist.
• Decreased self-esteem and self-confidence.
• Persistent low mood and anxiety.
• Avoidance of personal responsibility and unwillingness to seek solutions.
• A pronounced feeling that nothing in life will change, no matter what they do.
• Loss of belief in one's own talents and potential.
• A tendency toward isolation and withdrawal from others.
• Persistent thoughts that no effort is worth making.

As the list above suggests, learned helplessness is a serious and potentially debilitating psychological condition. Understanding the roots of this condition is an important first step toward recovery.

The triggers vary, but they typically involve some form of repeated negative experience.

• Repeated failures: even small but frequent failures can break a person. Convinced of their own inadequacy, a person stops believing that their efforts can lead to anything positive.
• Past trauma: serious negative events in the past can lead to a deeply held belief that life is unfair, undermining a person's faith in their own abilities.
• Pessimistic thinking: a tendency toward negative thought patterns can drain a person's motivation and will to change.
• A negative environment: being surrounded by unsupportive people and a lack of positive role models can reinforce feelings of helplessness.
• Persistent criticism: a cynical outlook on life, combined with frequent criticism from others, erodes self-confidence and fosters helplessness.
• Fear of responsibility: we are all afraid of failure. But for some people, this fear becomes so overwhelming that they prefer not to act at all. After all, if you do nothing, you can't be blamed for failing.
• Sociocultural factors: the prevailing norms in society and cultural attitudes can frame certain life situations as inevitable and insurmountable.
• Emotional suppression: difficulty expressing one's feelings and thoughts often leads to withdrawal and isolation.
• Inappropriate reactions from others: Harsh and insensitive reactions from others can undermine a person’s self-confidence and make them feel helpless.

Martin Seligman conducted several studies on learned helplessness in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In one key experiment, Seligman and his colleagues placed dogs in a large box divided by a partition low enough for the animals to jump over.

In one part of the box, the dogs were given an electric shock, and the original goal was to prompt them to move to the safe side. The dogs could leave the danger zone at any time by jumping over the partition. But to the surprise of the researchers, most of the animals made no attempt to escape — even though these were dogs that had previously been shocked no matter where they stood in the box. The animals simply sat in place, waiting for the next shock. They were passive and helpless, although they had a real and fairly easy opportunity to avoid suffering.

In the next experiment, Seligman divided the dogs into three groups. The first group could press a button to turn off the electric current. The second group could not turn off the current on their own — it was only switched off when the first group pressed their button simultaneously. Thus, from the perspective of the second group, when the shocks stopped, it had nothing to do with their own actions — sometimes the current stopped, but more often it did not. The third group of dogs was not exposed to electric current at all.

The dogs were then placed in the same box used in the first experiment — one side dangerous, the other safe. Seligman's hypothesis was that the dogs from the second group, having learned that their actions had no effect, would not even try to escape.

Most other scientists familiar with Seligman's hypothesis were skeptical. They believed that animals would not be able to develop behavior that was not conditioned by a reward or punishment, since Seligman's theory contradicted the then-dominant paradigm of behaviorism.

But the experiment was successful and confirmed Seligman's hypothesis. The dogs from the first group, who had previously turned off the current themselves, easily made their way to the safe side of the box. They had learned that their actions made a difference. The dogs from the third group, who had not previously been subjected to electric shocks, also managed to reach the safe side relatively quickly. They had no prior experience with their actions leading to failure. But six out of eight dogs in the second group did not even try to jump over the partition to avoid the shock. This was the group whose shocks had occurred at random, regardless of what the animals did. Seligman described the scene as deeply troubling: the dogs simply lay on the floor of the box and waited for the next shock.

Further studies only confirmed the results. Animals that had learned their actions made a difference were able to adapt and find a solution. Conversely, animals conditioned to believe their actions were futile became increasingly passive.

Learned helplessness can also take on a collective dimension. It typically develops in environments marked by limited resources and the suppression of individuality and creativity. Authoritarian or patriarchal systems — where those in power "know best" and others are expected to conform and stay quiet — can also powerfully drive collective helplessness.

Collective helplessness can also develop within organizations where rigid rules or overbearing management stifle employee initiative. Over time, employees simply stop taking initiative, because they come to believe their input has no effect on outcomes.

In collective learned helplessness, group members share a belief that nothing will change, making any effort seem pointless.

Religious communities can also foster learned helplessness. For example, the belief that all events are predetermined can discourage a person from taking action, since they feel nothing they do will change the outcome. After all, if a higher power has willed it, there seems little point in resisting. This kind of determinism prevents people from recognizing and acting on opportunities to improve their lives.

Learned helplessness often develops alongside other psychological disorders and intensifies them. These most commonly include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, avoidant personality disorder, and dependent personality disorder.

The symptoms of these disorders can also deepen the sense of helplessness and lead to a pattern of negative thinking. These conditions can feed into one another, significantly undermining a person's mental health and quality of life.

The dogs from the second group had to be shown how to avoid the shocks — the researchers had to physically carry them to the safe side of the box, over and over. Only then were they able to escape on their own by jumping over the partition.

People, too, need sustained effort to shift their thinking and behavior. Having positive role models and a supportive environment makes a significant difference. Here are some techniques that can help:

• Positive thinking: develop an optimistic view of your life and your own capabilities.
• Self-reflection: examine the roots of your negative thinking and passivity.
• Set goals and achieve them: setting small, achievable goals and working toward them consistently can lead to meaningful change.
• Support from family and friends: spend time with people who offer encouragement, and limit exposure to negativity and pessimism.

Learned helplessness is a serious psychological condition that limits a person's quality of life and their ability to recognize opportunities for positive change.