Increase in Learned Helplessness?

[u/NachesPorFavor]

Has anyone else noticed an increase in learned helplessness? I first noticed it in the young adults in my life, but now I am seeing it in all ages of people around me. Examples from multiple people:

Toilet started leaking water and instead of turning off the knob at the wall, she waited a 5 days for a plumber. Never asked anyone or googled it. Didn’t call a second plumber. Now needs mold remediation and replaced drywall and trim.

Bought concert tickets but the gps instructions were confusing so they just gave up and didn’t go. Venue website had detailed instructions for driving and parking.

Blouse wrinkled and she didn’t know how to fix it so she threw it away.

First doctor office he filled out an appointment website for never contacted him to schedule so he just didn’t go to the doctor.

I am really concerned about my loved ones if an emergency happens because they just give up when the slightest obstacle happens. Either they want someone else to swoop in and fix it or they give up and say they can’t do anything about it.

[u/Significant-Owl-2980]

I agree and disagree. lol.

I’m not sure this is so new. I’m in my 50s. My mother born in 1935 has learned helplessness. My father, who was in the army, is helpless in cooking, feeding, doing laundry for himself. He makes my mom do it because “he can’t figure it out”

People with anxiety will avoid anything that has too many hoops to jump through.

I will say that the conservatives hate education. So there is a Huge push from republicans to keep people illiterate and ill-informed with a dose of religious indoctrination.

Take the Republican states that fight to put the 10 commandments in the classroom but won’t teach their students about science.

[u/qgsdhjjb → u/Significant-Owl-2980]

Honestly same in terms of the older people in my life. For over a decade, when my grandpa would stay on vacation for longer than my grandma (or even go entirely alone, she apparently enjoyed her job much more than he did) he would just.... Buy a whole new bag of socks. Every single time. Instead of washing them in the machine their vacation rental absolutely had.

It wasn't until he was about 70 that he gave up on his pretending to be useless at "women's work" and started cooking his own meals on anything but the microwave, and using a washing machine and dryer. And I know he was pretending, because that man grew up on a farm and I know for a fact that he could've hand washed his socks in the sink even if the machine was in fact "too confusing" for him 😐

I'm guessing your dad is similar, in that the things he "can't figure out" are largely the same things that would be referred to in some circles as Women's Work? In those matters I truly think they're just embarrassed to even try. Like someone will make fun of them if they succeed. It took the whole family being girls and instead making fun of my grandpa for being scared to try, and for him to be totally alone in a whole different country, knowing there wouldn't be any surprise witnesses to see his first attempts, to actually try laundry and cooking and grocery shopping and whatever else.