Does the military promote learned helplessness?

2015-04-27T20:28:04-04:00

Many times before, I have reached a roadblock and turned to a superior for an answer. Our institution and the chain of command re-emphasize this behavior. So as a culture in the military, are we promoting learned helplessness? What do you think? Check out the video below for more info on learned helplessness...

Learned Helplessness

Learned helplessness can prevent people from achieving their goals, something I've experienced first hand. Check out Audible: http://bit.ly/AudibleVe More wa...

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Apr 27 at 2015 8:30 PM

2015-04-27T20:30:26-04:00

I think that depends on your command. They are there to give guidance and assistance if needed, but if they are properly mentoring they should be teaching you to take the guidance and to move forward and accomplish the mission with it.

My time in the Army has changed my approach to things where I am now more likely to run with guidance and complete a goal. If I screw up I just ask for forgiveness and adjust fire for future operations.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2015 9:08 PM

2015-04-27T21:08:28-04:00

Great question, LTJG Private RallyPoint Member. As a special education teacher, we hear a lot about this concept in the classroom, especially as it relates to parenting and some students coping skills.

I feel like there's always going to be those in the chain who require more explicit directions, prompting, and guidance - those who are much better followers than leaders. Hopefully, we shouldn't see too many of these folks being promoted up the chain, so I would think that eventually they will fall off the radar. But in the lower ranks, sure, that's where I'd expect to see more of these behaviors, if only for the lack of assigned leadership roles.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Apr 27 at 2015 9:28 PM

2015-04-27T21:28:15-04:00

Our society as a whole is crumbling around us because of things like this. It's like our elected officials, they do nothing once in office to better our country so we as voters realize that the result of electing anyone is pointless because they all end up doing the same thing but we vote anyways.

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2015 2:25 AM

2015-04-28T02:25:24-04:00

In my personal opinion learned helplessness is promoted in our military culture. It is fostered by overbearing leaders and micro-managing. I realized this shortly after leaving the "Fleet" and joining "special programs". Poor leadership does this fostering by taking away the ability of the decision from the subordinate. With my junior personnel I allow them to make decisions on little projects with little guidance and allow them the ability to screw-up. I do not tell them this but as they begin to make better and more informed decisions, the difficulty and severity of the tasks is increased. By making decisions on their own; good, bad or indifferent they begin to grow. When they reach a point of self-confidence with their own decisions they are assigned to leadership roles. Leadership Roles can vary in Risk and after they perform well at a low-risk leadership role they receive schools or training for High-Risk leadership roles. In my community, high-risk leadership roles are dangerous and if performed poorly can result in loss of life. With this method my subordinates perform far above their peers since they are able to make their own decision and do not rely solely on me.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Apr 28 at 2015 10:29 AM

2015-04-28T10:29:29-04:00

Yes & no.

Depends on the leaders you've had previously.

Usually at the junior most level, we embed this, and then we start chipping away at it.

Start with tight reins, and then loosen them progressively as the scope of responsibility increases, and knowledge increases. It's like teaching someone to drive a car. You keep them slow at first, at then once you've seen they are capable, you let them go farther and faster. When they show they are not capable, you rein them back in.

Some leaders let the reins loose very early, some not so much. Staff officers tend to get a lot of hands on time with their troops so they are able to chip away at this sooner. Command level officers tend to have more troops, and less direct interaction, which throttles that back quite a bit.

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Apr 29 at 2015 4:54 PM

2015-04-29T16:54:00-04:00

Definitely. I went straight from graduating college with honors to Infantry OSUT. By the time I graduated OSUT, I definitely felt dumber, and not in the sense of realizing how much I don't know yet. Instead of being expected to take in vast amounts of information, and synthesize it into a coherent argumentative analysis or some such thing, my sole duty was to 'execute.' Just do what I'm told, and definitely don't think. If there's a problem, go to the NCO. Don't solve it on your own; you're a Private.