CHAPTER 44. LEARNED HELPLESSNESS

An elephant is tied to a small pole with a chain or rope when it's baby. It cannot break the chain. So, elephant learnt that it is helpless in breaking the chain. The elephant is tied to the same pole and chain lifelong. Eventually, the elephant grows up strong & can easily break the chain and walk away. But it doesn't break away. Because it has learnt to be helpless as far as the chain is concerned. This is why some tasks are so difficult for you but easier for others. But, every helplessness can be overcome.

Overview of Learned Helplessness

What It Is: Learned helplessness happens when you face tough situations you can’t control over and over again. After a while, you start to believe you can’t change things, even when you get a chance to. This makes you stop trying, feel stuck, and lose hope.

Where It Came From: Psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven Maier came up with this idea in the 1960s. They did tests with dogs, giving some unavoidable electric shocks. Those dogs later stopped trying to escape, even when they could. Dogs that didn’t get shocked kept trying. Seligman then used this idea to explain how people act, especially when they feel depressed.

How It Works:

1. No Control: You feel your r actions don’t change anything (like “Nothing I do helps”).

2. Wrong Thinking: You believe things will always be bad (like “It’s never going to get better”).

3. Giving Up: You stop trying and just sit back (like not bothering to fix things).

Steps It Follows:

- Bad Start: Something tough happens a lot, and you can’t stop it.

- Spreading: You start feeling helpless about everything, not just the first problem.

- Feeling Down: This makes you sad, worried, or hopeless, which keeps the cycle going.

What It Looks Like:

- Doing Nothing: You don’t try to make things better.

- No Drive: You don’t feel like working on solutions.

- Can’t Learn: You struggle to see new ways to succeed.

- Feeling Low: You get upset or sad more easily.

Learned Helplessness in You

This can happen to anyone after things like failing a lot, being hurt, or facing unfair treatment. It depends on how you explain bad stuff. If you blame yourself and think it’s forever (like “I’m dumb and always will be”), you’re more likely to feel helpless. If you think it’s just bad luck or short-term, you might keep going.

Simple Examples

- Abused Person: If you are hurt at home, you may stop asking for help, thinking it’s no use.

- School Kid: A student who keeps failing stops studying, believing they’ll never pass.

- Worker: Someone ignored for a raise stops trying hard at their job.

Why It Matters

1. Mental Health: It’s a big part of why some people get depressed—they feel life can’t improve.

2. School: Kids who face constant problems might stop caring about learning.

3. Society: People treated badly (like the poor or unfairly judged) might stop fighting back.

How to Fix It

- Talking It Out: Therapy can help change negative thoughts and push people to try again.

- New Thinking: Teach them bad things aren’t their fault and won’t last forever.

- Giving Power: Let them control small things or succeed at something to build confidence.

- Getting Stronger: Slowly facing small challenges helps them feel they can handle more.

Problems with the Idea

- Not Always True: Some say not every time someone gives up is because of this—sometimes it’s just smart to stop.

- New Focus: Seligman later studied “learned optimism” to show how positive thinking helps.

- Different Places: How helpless people feel can change depending on their culture or beliefs.

Learned Helplessness is Deep rooted In India :

In India, things like caste problems, unfair treatment of women, slow government help, or being poor makes learned helplessness worse. For example, a poor villager might stop asking for clean water, or a girl might accept she can’t go to school. These show how big challenges in India can make people feel stuck.

Wrap-Up

Learned helplessness explains why people stop trying when life gets hard too many times. It’s about how their surroundings, thoughts, and actions mix together. It started with science but helps us understand real-life issues like sadness, school troubles, or unfairness. It also shows ways to help people feel strong again, no matter where they are, like in India or anywhere else.