"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." – Thomas Edison
Imagine facing a series of unfortunate events where no matter what you do, nothing seems to change. This sense of powerlessness can become so ingrained that even when circumstances improve, you remain passive and resigned. This psychological condition, known as learned helplessness, was first identified by researchers who discovered that it’s not just the adverse events themselves, but the perception of inescapable trauma that leads to this state. Individuals caught in the grip of learned helplessness believe their efforts are futile, leading to a lack of action even when they have the power to change their situation.
Learned helplessness arises when people are exposed to uncontrollable events and come to believe that they have no power to change their circumstances. This condition was extensively studied by psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven Maier, who conducted experiments with dogs subjected to electric shocks. They found that dogs who could not escape the shocks eventually stopped trying to avoid them, even when escape became possible. This behavior was termed "learned helplessness" (Seligman & Maier, 1967).
Later research revealed that one-third of human subjects did not develop learned helplessness. This observation led to further investigation into what makes some individuals........