--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People who suffer from learned…" description: "\"“People who suffer from learned helplessness think they have no control over their situations, so even if their suffering is great, they won’t take the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/alberto-villoldo-8981_helplessness_people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessn_1020025.png" --- # People who suffer from learned helplessness think they… ![“People who suffer from learned helplessness think they have no control over their situations, so even if their suffering is great, they won’t take the smallest action to change matters because they figure, What’s the point?” quote by Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/alberto-villoldo-8981_helplessness_people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessn_1020025.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/alberto-villoldo-8981_helplessness_people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessn_1020025.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/alberto-villoldo-8981_helplessness_people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessn_1020025.png) > ““People who suffer from learned helplessness think they have no control over their situations, so even if their suffering is great, they won’t take the smallest action to change matters because they figure, What’s the point?”” [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People who feel powerless often see no point in acting, reinforcing their helplessness. **In simple terms:** Feeling powerless stops action. Key Takeaway Challenge the belief that effort is futile. Themes psychology self‑efficacy motivation Mood hopeful empowering Type motivational therapeutic When to use this quote - therapy - personal development - goal setting - stress management Key Concepts learned helplessness cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - What small step could break the cycle? - How can you recognize false helplessness? A Different Perspective Changing mindset can be difficult without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Helplessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helplessness/) [Helplessness Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helplessness-think-2268362/) [Learned Helplessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-helplessness-469847/) [Situations Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situations-suffering-2268363/) [Suffer Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer-learned-2268364/) ## Related quotes > [Stories always have held conflicts and contrasts, highs and lows, life and death situations. And there can be much suffering in stories, but now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/stories-always-have-held-conflicts-and-contrasts-highs-and-lows-life/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [All of us, poor & rich alike, have been conditioned by our upbringings. Impoverished men & women may become lulled into a state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/all-of-us-poor-rich-alike-have-been-conditioned-by-our-upbringings/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Lorenz’s concept of learned helplessness: how people believed that there was nothing they could do to help themselves even when opportunities for betterment arose. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-brady/lorenz-s-concept-of-learned-helplessness-how-people-believed-that/) [R.D. Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-brady/) > [“Many psychologists assert that creating systems that cause feelings of powerlessness is one of the most damaging things we can do to fellow human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kim/many-psychologists-assert-that-creating-systems-that-cause-feelings/) [Gene Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kim/) > [“Years later, when I got to college, I learned about an important theory of psychology called Learned Helplessness, developed by Dr. Martin E. P.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-p-brooks-jr/years-later-when-i-got-to-college-i-learned-about-an-important-theory/) [Frederick P. Brooks Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-p-brooks-jr/) > [Learned helplessness is the giving-up reaction, the quitting response that follows from the belief that whatever you do doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/learned-helplessness-is-the-giving-up-reaction-the-quitting-response/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [“Learned helplessness is a psychological reaction to repeated frustration and failure. Research shows that continual exposure to academic failure contributes to withdrawal, unwillingness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-swarbrick/learned-helplessness-is-a-psychological-reaction-to-repeated/) [Jody Swarbrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-swarbrick/) > [“Learning beforehand that responding matters actually prevents learned helplessness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seligman-martin/learning-beforehand-that-responding-matters-actually-prevents-learned/) [Seligman Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seligman-martin/) > [“The more pessimistic your explanatory style, the easier it is to slip into learned helplessness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/the-more-pessimistic-your-explanatory-style-the-easier-it-is-to-slip/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“Learned helplessness is a common cause of clinical depression in people who perceive they have no control over the outcomes of their life situations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janae-b-weinhold/learned-helplessness-is-a-common-cause-of-clinical-depression-in/) [Janae B. Weinhold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janae-b-weinhold/) > [“It seems as though we can no longer imagine anyone but a professional or an institution or a product supplying our daily needs or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/it-seems-as-though-we-can-no-longer-imagine-anyone-but-a-professional/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“I learned that people won’t believe me when I say I need help, and so I stopped asking. I found passive or covert ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autism-women-s-network/i-learned-that-people-won-t-believe-me-when-i-say-i-need-help-and-so/) [Autism Women's Network](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autism-women-s-network/) > [“You make plans and decisions assuming randomness and chaos are for chumps. The illusion of control is a peculiar thing because it often leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/you-make-plans-and-decisions-assuming-randomness-and-chaos-are-for/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“Every time the drill instructor screamed at me and I stood proudly; every time I thought I’d fall behind during a run and kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/every-time-the-drill-instructor-screamed-at-me-and-i-stood-proudly/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [Our online news feeds aggregate all of the world's pain and cruelty, dragging our brains into a kind of learned helplessness. Technology that provides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristan-harris/our-online-news-feeds-aggregate-all-of-the-world-s-pain-and-cruelty/) [Tristan Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristan-harris/) ## More by Alberto Villoldo > [Courageous dreaming allows you to create from the source, the quantum soup of the universe where everything exists in a latent or potential state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/courageous-dreaming-allows-you-to-create-from-the-source-the-quantum/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [Life will drag us kicking and screaming to our destiny if we try to escape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/life-will-drag-us-kicking-and-screaming-to-our-destiny-if-we-try-to/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [“With the courage of the soul, we don’t focus only on self-preservation, security, or safety; in fact, such courage compels us to risk our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/with-the-courage-of-the-soul-we-don-t-focus-only-on-self-preservation/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [Psychosis is a very Western phenomena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/psychosis-is-a-very-western-phenomena/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [The dreams you craft at the level of your soul are very different from goals, which are tangible, measurable and set the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/the-dreams-you-craft-at-the-level-of-your-soul-are-very-different/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [“When the first chakra is disconnected from the feminine Earth, we can feel orphaned and motherless. The masculine principle predominates, and we look for security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/when-the-first-chakra-is-disconnected-from-the-feminine-earth-we-can/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [We are like a drop of water in a vast, divine ocean, distinct yet immersed in something much larger than ourselves. It’s only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/we-are-like-a-drop-of-water-in-a-vast-divine-ocean-distinct-yet/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [Everything you experience mirrors a part of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/everything-you-experience-mirrors-a-part-of-you/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [All deaths, all endings, are a path to the next beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/all-deaths-all-endings-are-a-path-to-the-next-beginning/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [Fate is a story that's been written for you by somebody else. By your parent's genes, by what happened to you when you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/fate-is-a-story-that-s-been-written-for-you-by-somebody-else-by-your/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [Before you can move in new directions, you must first let go of what's not working for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/before-you-can-move-in-new-directions-you-must-first-let-go-of-what-s/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [“just as America was the first modern land where people could practice freedom of religion, perhaps someday America will be a place where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/just-as-america-was-the-first-modern-land-where-people-could-practice/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [Modern physics is describing what the ancient wisdom keepers of the Americas have long known. These shamans, known as 'the Earthkeepers,' say that we’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/modern-physics-is-describing-what-the-ancient-wisdom-keepers-of-the/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [To become completely healed is to become the healer - bringing the beauty and meaning you found into the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/to-become-completely-healed-is-to-become-the-healer-bringing-the/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [The nature of the cosmos is such that whatever vision you have about yourself and the world will become reality. As soon as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/the-nature-of-the-cosmos-is-such-that-whatever-vision-you-have-about/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) [Explore all 76 Alberto Villoldo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) ## More Helplessness quotes > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“You don’t know what it’s like to worry you’ll start to despise the people who help you, the ones you should love, because they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-guzeman/you-don-t-know-what-it-s-like-to-worry-you-ll-start-to-despise-the/) [Tracy Guzeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-guzeman/) > [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/) [Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/) > [O.K., helplessness is repugnant to me, as a father, as a piece of protoplasm. My parents were activists. I don't believe you can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-brickman/o-k-helplessness-is-repugnant-to-me-as-a-father-as-a-piece-of/) [Marshall Brickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-brickman/) > [“The world was full of forces you couldn't fight against which suddenly loomed up and aimed a crushing blow at you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarjei-vesaas/the-world-was-full-of-forces-you-couldn-t-fight-against-which/) [Tarjei Vesaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarjei-vesaas/) > [“If you become so frightened of realities that are not your own, if you take upon yourselves tragedies that do not exist in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/if-you-become-so-frightened-of-realities-that-are-not-your-own-if-you/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [Another person is, at the heart of it, unknowable. And if you cannot know a person enough to always guess what they’re capable of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/another-person-is-at-the-heart-of-it-unknowable-and-if-you-cannot/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [“Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/perhaps-everything-that-frightens-us-is-in-its-deepest-essence/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [“Power is fortified not just by what it destroys, but also by what it creates. Not just by what it takes, but also by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/power-is-fortified-not-just-by-what-it-destroys-but-also-by-what-it/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“Most of those who think their strength is gone and ask for help from others do not know that the strength that seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/most-of-those-who-think-their-strength-is-gone-and-ask-for-help-from/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“There was no way out; not, at least, in this direction. I was like a hamster that had climbed to the top of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/there-was-no-way-out-not-at-least-in-this-direction-i-was-like-a/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [“Well, on some level, it’s similar to the psychological phenomenon of helplessness, where the will to try is lost. You get to the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-love/well-on-some-level-it-s-similar-to-the-psychological-phenomenon-of/) [Zack Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-love/) > [Absolute power, as we have always known, corrupts absolutely; it corrupts because it does not do the trick for the individual. Reality always creeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/absolute-power-as-we-have-always-known-corrupts-absolutely-it/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“What would any man do with a soggy girl who can't assert herself, who has a weak voice, and whose main personality component is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/what-would-any-man-do-with-a-soggy-girl-who-can-t-assert-herself-who/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The utter helplessness of a conquered people is perhaps the most tragic feature of a civil war or any other sort of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-latimer-felton/the-utter-helplessness-of-a-conquered-people-is-perhaps-the-most/) [Rebecca Latimer Felton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-latimer-felton/) [Browse all 316 Helplessness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helplessness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“People who suffer from learned helplessness think they have no control over their situations, so even if their suffering is great, they won’t take the smallest action to change matters because they figure, What’s the point?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alberto Villoldo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessness-think-they-have-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Helplessness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessness-think-they-have-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/alberto-villoldo-8981_helplessness_people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessn_1020025.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/alberto-villoldo-8981_helplessness_people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessn_1020025.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/alberto-villoldo-8981_helplessness_people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessn_1020025.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People who suffer from learned helplessness think they have no control over their situations, so even if…” — Alberto Villoldo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alberto Villoldo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“People who suffer from learned helplessness...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessness-think-they-have-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/people-who-suffer-from-learned-helplessness-think-they-have-no/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```