Fascinating piece, Chris! At university, I learned about learned helplessness as being a learned state. But when I began researching it awhile ago, I discovered that learned helplessness (the belief that one has no control) is the brain’s neurophysiological default state. Seligman conducted research on this almost a decade ago and discussed how shock and learning that one can escape shock changes the neural pathways to internal locus of control. I wrote about it from the context of brain injury, how medicine reinforces the default state and how one could unlearn internal locus of control, given enough pressure combined with injury. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/concussion-is-brain-injury/202201/learned-helplessness-brain-injury-and-the-pandemic
I think you’re right about experimenting. The brain’s default state won’t change without learning one has control, over and over again. It’s interesting (and frustrating) that people will take medications with terrible effects on their functionality and health over neurostimulation like audiovisual entrainment, which doesn’t cause side effects and enhances function and health. Your article is making me think their default state of learned helplessness or external locus of control is at play here. They default to what their doctors (who also fear learning) believe rather than rely on what they know and understand.
You know a lot more than me about this of course Shireen - I think that's interesting about experimenting being about changing the brain's default settings. I'm guessing some complex neurological re-routing is going on when we prove to ourselves that we can do something (rather that than assume we can't). Thanks for your note I'm flattered you think it works :)
Yes, everything changes the brain — you may find Dr Norman Doidge’s books interesting — so proving to ourselves we can do something will change neural connections. 🙂
This is so interesting to me. In my book, ‘Weather Report’, in addition to the daily practice, I included a weekly reflection where there is an invitation to list three small things that went well for you this week. The next part is to write about why these went well, what action did you take to bring about this good outcome. When I’m talking about it I always frame the latter in terms of agency, of developing a sense of one’s own capacity to take even small actions to improve a situation. This is a superb post, thank you!
Thanks Margaret - that's interesting. The locus of control idea suggests that we can see both good and bad experiences as things that 'happen to you' so making that link between positive outcome and proactive behaviour sounds like a powerful approach.
"Your distractions aren’t illusions – they are real – but you are not at the mercy of them either."
I just admire how y'all are able to distill research into bite size chunks without doing some of the over generalizing and real harm that pop psych and self help can do. Bravo!
Fascinating piece, Chris! At university, I learned about learned helplessness as being a learned state. But when I began researching it awhile ago, I discovered that learned helplessness (the belief that one has no control) is the brain’s neurophysiological default state. Seligman conducted research on this almost a decade ago and discussed how shock and learning that one can escape shock changes the neural pathways to internal locus of control. I wrote about it from the context of brain injury, how medicine reinforces the default state and how one could unlearn internal locus of control, given enough pressure combined with injury. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/concussion-is-brain-injury/202201/learned-helplessness-brain-injury-and-the-pandemic
I think you’re right about experimenting. The brain’s default state won’t change without learning one has control, over and over again. It’s interesting (and frustrating) that people will take medications with terrible effects on their functionality and health over neurostimulation like audiovisual entrainment, which doesn’t cause side effects and enhances function and health. Your article is making me think their default state of learned helplessness or external locus of control is at play here. They default to what their doctors (who also fear learning) believe rather than rely on what they know and understand.
You know a lot more than me about this of course Shireen - I think that's interesting about experimenting being about changing the brain's default settings. I'm guessing some complex neurological re-routing is going on when we prove to ourselves that we can do something (rather that than assume we can't). Thanks for your note I'm flattered you think it works :)
You explained it really well! 👍
Yes, everything changes the brain — you may find Dr Norman Doidge’s books interesting — so proving to ourselves we can do something will change neural connections. 🙂
This is so interesting to me. In my book, ‘Weather Report’, in addition to the daily practice, I included a weekly reflection where there is an invitation to list three small things that went well for you this week. The next part is to write about why these went well, what action did you take to bring about this good outcome. When I’m talking about it I always frame the latter in terms of agency, of developing a sense of one’s own capacity to take even small actions to improve a situation. This is a superb post, thank you!
Thanks Margaret - that's interesting. The locus of control idea suggests that we can see both good and bad experiences as things that 'happen to you' so making that link between positive outcome and proactive behaviour sounds like a powerful approach.
"Your distractions aren’t illusions – they are real – but you are not at the mercy of them either."
I just admire how y'all are able to distill research into bite size chunks without doing some of the over generalizing and real harm that pop psych and self help can do. Bravo!
Very kind thank you :)
"When you assume you can’t do something you often don’t try."
That's me 100% with arts and writing and it's killing me 😭
Sorry to hear Claire - I hope the piece might have helped a little.
Aaaaw thanks. It did help switch my perspective or at least offered a new one. Now I need to digest it and let it work its magic 😆