The concept of learned helplessness was first coined by psychologist Martin Seligman in the late 1960s. Although Seligman’s original research was with animals, the application of his theory certainly ...

There’s a scientific term for the feeling that nothing you do matters: learned helplessness. It is a state experienced by all humans (and most animals) in response to enduring negative stimuli. In ...

Learned helplessness. I’d heard the term before, but conflated it with weaponized incompetence, a phenomenon where someone (usually the male partner in a hetero relationship) exerts little or no ...

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." **CONTENT WARNING** This story mentions the topic of abusive relationships. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep ...

A few years ago some friends got a new Golden Retriever puppy named Sugar. When I first met Sugar, she was a ball of fur and energy. Picture this: a golden streak dashing across the yard, eyes ...

Learned helplessness occurs when an individual continuously faces a negative, uncontrollable situation and stops trying to change their circumstances, even when they have the ability to do so. For ...

**CONTENT WARNING** This story mentions the topic of abusive relationships. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep pushing yourself to accomplish something when it feels like you’ve struck out so many ...

Have you ever felt powerless to the point that you pretty much give up and stop trying to change your circumstances? If you’ve ever convinced yourself that everything wrong with your life is doomed to ...