Part 2 of 12: The Learned Helplessness Epidemic

In a world seemingly designed to keep us feeling powerless, the concept of learned helplessness highlights a significant psychological barrier many face daily. This episode uncovers how societal conditioning shapes our beliefs, leading us to adopt the mindset of “I can’t” and settles us into a cycle of despair and inaction. Tackling this pervasive issue, we delve into the root causes of learned helplessness, examining how educational systems and media narratives often reinforce a sense of victimhood and dependence.

We also explore practical methodologies for overcoming this mindset and reclaiming our sense of agency. From the micro-win strategy to challenging limiting beliefs with questions like "What if I'm wrong?", listeners will walk away with actionable steps designed to instill motivation and encourage proactive change. The conversation is not just an exploration of a psychological phenomenon; it serves as a rallying cry for anyone feeling trapped by their circumstances.

Tune in to break the conditioning of learned helplessness and empower yourself with the tools to take action. Don't let despair define your journey! Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help spread the message that change is possible.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
The Learned Helplessness Epidemic, how
Society is Training People to bePowerless.
If you're convinced you can'tchange your life, you won't even
try.
And that's exactly the point.
Introduction the cult of Ican't.
At this point, some peopledon't have a glass ceiling,

(00:30):
they've got a glass floor andstill refuse to stand up.
It's like they've turned Ican't into a lifestyle brand,
complete with a sad logo and aloyalty program for despair.
Ever met someone who has anexcuse for everything?
I can't get ahead because thesystem is rigged.
I can't find a goodrelationship because all the
good ones are taken.
I can't change my situationbecause that's just how life

(00:54):
works.
They might not even soundbitter or angry, they just sound
defeated, like you just toldthem the avocados used to be
called alligator pearls confused, suspicious and somehow
personally offended.
Or like you've interruptedtheir pity party with a
PowerPoint on how to leave thehouse.

(01:14):
And if you push back, forexample, if you say, hey, you
actually have more control thanyou think, they look at you like
you don't get it.
But here's the thing theydidn't always think like that.
This mindset isn't natural, it'sconditioned.
It's called learnedhelplessness, a psychological
trap where people stop trying tochange the situation because

(01:36):
they've been trained to believeit's impossible.
And right now it's everywhere.
Society is engineering peopleto be powerless, not through
force, but through subtleconditioning that keeps people
dependent, disengaged andconvinced that nothing they do
will ever matter.
Let's break this down thepsychology of learned

(01:58):
helplessness, how people stopfighting.
The term learned helplessnesscomes from an experiment in the
1960s by psychologist MartinSeligman.
Here's what he found there weretwo groups of dogs, group A and
B.
In group A, dogs were put in acage with an electric floor, but
they could escape by jumpingover a barrier.

(02:19):
In group B, different dogs wereput in the same cage, but no
matter what they did, theycouldn't escape the shocks.
Later, all the dogs were put ina cage where escape was
possible.
The shocking part no punintended the dogs in group B
didn't even try to escape.
They just laid down andaccepted it, even though the

(02:41):
barrier was low, even thoughthey could have jumped, even
though they weren't actuallytrapped anymore.
Once they had learned thateffort was useless, they stopped
trying, even when they had away out.
Sound familiar?
The person who stays in adead-end job because it's all
they can get.
The person who stays in a toxicrelationship because it's too

(03:05):
hard to start over the personwho never tries something new
because they're just not thatkind of person.
At some point they stoppedbelieving they had options.
And once you stop believing youhave options, you don't need a
cage to keep you in one place.
You'll do it all by yourself.
You'll feng shui your ownprison and call it cozy how

(03:27):
society conditions people toaccept powerlessness.
Nobody wakes up one day anddecides to be powerless.
They're trained into it and thetraining starts early.
School trains obedience, notcritical thinking.
The school system doesn't teachkids how to think.
It teaches them how to comply.
Students are rewarded formemorization but punished for

(03:51):
questioning authority.
And yes, obviously there's agood way to question authority
and a bad way to questionauthority, but that's not the
point.
People are trained to believesuccess equals following the
rules, not questioning them.
Two media trains victimhood asan identity.
Modern media doesn't just showproblems.

(04:12):
It subtly conditions people tobelieve those problems are
inescapable.
The algorithm prioritizescontent that triggers outrage
and despair over content thatfosters self-agency.
The result People feel informedbut powerless, aware but stuck.
It's like an infomercial fordespair.

(04:32):
But wait, there's more.
If you call now, we'll throw ina bonus existential crisis,
absolutely free.
Order in the next 10 minutesand we'll upgrade your doom
scrolling to premiumhopelessness.
Three the system rewardsdependence, not self-reliance.
People are punished forindependence financial penalties
for making too much, to qualifyfor aid, reliance on debt, etc.

(04:55):
The government, corporationsand institutions benefit from a
population that believes itneeds saving.
If you think you can't changeyour life, you'll spend more
time waiting for someone else tofix it, breaking free the
mental exercises that restoreself-agency.
Here's the good news Learnedhelplessness is not permanent.

(05:18):
It's reversible.
The trick you have to retrainyour brain to recognize control
again.
One the micro-win strategy.
Your brain needs proof thateffort leads to results.
So start with tiny, winnablechallenges that rewire your
sense of agency.
For example, instead of sayingI'm stuck in this job, focus on

(05:40):
applying to one job per day.
The key isn't the size of thewin.
It's proving to your brain thatsmall actions equal real change
.
Think of it like teaching yourinner quitter that the light
switch isn't just decorative.
Two the what if I'm wrong test.
Just because you believesomething doesn't make it true.

(06:00):
I mean toddlers believepeekaboo makes them invisible
and we let them vote in the formof juice box selection.
Meanwhile, you're over hereswearing the cage is steel when
it's just a pop-up tent?
One of the biggest traps oflearned helplessness is assuming
your beliefs are facts.
So challenge yourself.
Ask yourself what if I'm wrongabout being powerless?

(06:22):
What if I have more controlthan I think?
What's one thing I haven'ttried yet.
Three the action before emotionrule.
People think they need to feelmotivated before taking action
and, believe me, I've falleninto this trap myself quite a
bit.
The truth Action createsmotivation, not the other way

(06:45):
around.
If you wait to feel ready,you'll never move.
Instead, move first and let themotivation catch up.
4.
The Three-Year ThoughtExperiment.
Imagine yourself three yearsfrom now stuck in the same place
, the exact same place noprogress, no change, no growth.

(07:06):
Does that thought bother you?
Good, it's your soul's SOS, notan RSVP to the stagnation gala.
So if you do feel that way, ifit does bother you, that's your
proof that you don't actuallywant to stay where you are Now
ask what can I do today toprevent that from happening?

(07:28):
Final takeaway you're not stuck.
You've been trained to thinkyou are.
Most people aren't powerless,they just believe they are
because they've been taught thateffort is pointless, exhausting
or won't make a difference.
And yes, those are realexperiences and can't be
discounted.
But that's a lie.
The only way out of learnedhelplessness is to start taking

(07:50):
small, deliberate actions rightnow, because if you don't, in
three years you'll be sitting inthe exact same spot, wondering
why nothing ever changed.
And that's not fate, that's achoice.
Closing thoughts Look, you'renot trapped, you're just

(08:10):
standing in an open cage waitingfor someone to carry you out.
So here's the question what'sone action you can take today to
prove to yourself that you'restill in control Bye?