Learned Helplessness
I read this book a while ago. The author is Martin Seligman. The book describes psychology experiments involving learned helplessness. I don't know if this book can help explain procrastination but surely it's a completely different perspective. The same author also written Learned Optimism, but due to procrastination I didn't read that follow-up book.
Learned helpless is defined as a psychological condition in which a human or animal has learned to believe that it is helpless. It thinks that it has no control over its situation and that whatever it does is futile. As a result it will stay passive when the situation is unpleasant or harmful and damaging. This study can explain depression but I am not sure if it can be releated to compulsive avoidance. Just a different perspective...
- By i_avoided_n_times at 14 May 2007 - 11:36am
- Procrastination Books
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I haven't totally thought through this but . . .
What this immediately brought to my mind was the people who see themselves as "victims". Now, I immediately want to say that this comment is not about anyone here or about what anyone is saying about their behaviour!!! I am very new and don't know anyone here!
That came to mind because of the idea of the mention in the first post about "no control over its situation". Victim type personalities seem to renounce any responsibility or control for their situations - putting the "blame" for it all on others.
I don't know enough about psychology to really speak on this topic, but it would seem that they must feel that they "get something" out of this way of thinking/living. For the life of me I don't know what though . . .
Learned Helplessness
Necroposting again.
As the younger sibling in the family, if I couldn't get my calculus homework, I was often able to my genius brother to explain it to me. Or my classmates. I guess that is not wrong in and of itself, but when there is no longer a brother or a classmate to explain things like my job or my research.... that's a problem.
Earlier in my life, it seemed like there was often someone with a solution or a helping hand or something. And if I waited long enough, or got into a serious enough fix, I would eventually get the help I needed, or sometimes abandon the thing I wanted to do.
But now, past 40, there isn't always someone there to help, so I procrastinate, but it doesn't always end so well...
necroposting lol
"I'm tired of pretending I'm not a total freaking rock star from Mars." - Charlie Sheen
necroposting lol
"I'm tired of pretending I'm not a total freaking rock star from Mars." - Charlie Sheen
hopes that situation will magically fix itself?
I am reminded of some of the 12 Signs of Compulsive Debting, as listed here:
http://debtorsanonymous.org/help/signs.htm
See also Gwen D's brilliant 2005 adaptation for Procrastinators:
"Signs of Compulsive Time-Debting"
http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/5#comment-10
(partway down the page)
more on "learned helplessness"
Interesting.
I wrote a post about this a couple of years ago, but had forgotten until you revived the topic. I think it's something I need to ponder again, so thank you!
My other thread is here:
http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1829
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Different how?
"but surely it's a completely different perspective"
Would that be different from the idea of it as an addiction?
I think that much of my behaviour can be described as learned helplessness as that was my childhood experience. Nothing I did was good enough, everything had to be perfect or better. I'm dyslexic so found it difficult to complete written work and often the trouble I got into for not doing it was no worse than the trouble for doing it badly.
The last time I was with my mother before she died she explained to me how badly I had done and how she was leaving almost all of her(the family money) to my brother.
Sad that she could never accept me as me.
This is not meant to be a pity post. I'm grown up and have supportive friends, fellowships, a spiritual path and you folks here.
Am tired now Good night folks
Rexroth