Why it matters
Explains passivity and depression-like patterns.
Core term · Martin Seligman
Learned Helplessness
The resigned belief, formed after repeated uncontrollable setbacks, that nothing you do will matter — so you stop trying even when escape becomes possible.
Areas of life
Schoolworktraumamotivation
How to handle it
Restore control through small successful actions.
Who shaped this idea
The thinker behind it
Bring it to your own life
Questions in this spirit
A term is just an idea until you apply it. Answer one.
Mind +10
When something recently went wrong, what story did you tell yourself about why? Notice whether you cast it as permanent and all-encompassing, or as one passing moment in a much larger life.
Growth +30
What is something you do well, so naturally that you barely count it? Consider how that quiet strength might be turned, gently, toward the difficulty you're carrying right now.
From concept to practice
Turn Learned Helplessness into a question you can answer.
Psipas asks you one small, honest question at a time — and builds the picture from your answers.