Question

According to Adler, Rosenfeld, & Proctor, the fallacy of helplessness suggests that forces beyond our control determine satisfaction in our life (Adler et. al., 2018). Do you ever mistakenly believe that its beyond your control to change unsatisfying relationships?

Answer 1

Answer:

It is not always beyond our control in certain circumstances because it suggests that satisfaction in life is determined by forces beyond your control when people are not satisfied then they see themselves as victims and their unhappiness is forced upon them by external circumstances.

Some people can be found in a situation making them say words like “I can’t” when really we should be saying “I wont” of “I don’t know how. The “I can’t” phrase becomes a rationalization to justify not wanting to change. We also tend to blame something else to feel no responsibility or control. If something happens wrong, it’s not our fault. It’s that other thing, way over there, not very tangible, but hey, its makes me feel better about not doing anything about it. How much easier is it to say “I can’t do that” and let someone else who does than to ask if they will take the time to teach you since you don’t actually know how? We feel helpless and push things aside for others to deal with.