If you struggle to take action when it comes to your career, it could be because of a case of learned helplessness,  a concept coined by psychologist Martin Seligman back in 1976.

He conducted a series of experiments on dogs. The animals were given an electric shock (terrible, we know). In the first group, the dogs can avoid the shocks by pressing a lever.

In the second group, the dogs can’t do anything to stop it.

What’s interesting is that later on, when the dogs were placed in shallow bins where they could easily escape from the shocks, dogs in the first group did just that.

Those in the second group just sat there. They had internalized that there is nothing they can do to make their situation better.

The same phenomenon happens in people as well. After being stuck in a bad situation where you have little control, especially at a formative age, you can come to feel that nothing you do would make things better. Simply recognizing this as a phenomenon can help. If this feeling persists, talk to a therapist. With good support and strategies, you can undo the conditioning! Always remember to take good care of yourself!