Learned Helplessness Explains Public Apathy Towards Crucial Israeli Elections
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
Despite widespread acknowledgment of the critical importance of upcoming Israeli elections, public apathy prevails, explained by the psychological concept of "learned helplessness." Similar to experiments where subjects lose the will to escape a negative situation after repeated failures, Israelis may feel their efforts to influence policy have been futile. This diminished sense of efficacy, compounded by national trauma and a lack of inspiring political alternatives, leads to disengagement. To counter this, the author suggests focusing on assigning concrete, achievable tasks to restore a sense of agency and collective impact.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israelis exhibit apathy towards crucial elections due to "learned helplessness" from perceived policy futility.
- Psychological experiments show that a lack of perceived control leads to inaction, even when solutions are available.
- The October 7th attacks eroded illusions of peace, leading to pragmatic, less passionate voting choices.
- Restoring public engagement requires assigning concrete, achievable tasks to foster a sense of agency.
- Apathy is contagious, affecting entire groups who feel their collective efforts yield no results.
An American expatriate living in Israel recently questioned why, despite widespread agreement that upcoming elections are the most important in the country's history, there is a noticeable lack of public excitement. The author explains this phenomenon through the psychological concept of "learned helplessness," drawing parallels to experiments conducted by psychologist Martin Seligman in the 1960s.
In Seligman's experiments, dogs were subjected to electric shocks. Some learned they could escape the pain, while others were taught that escape was impossible. When later placed in a situation where escape was possible by simply jumping over a low barrier, the dogs who had previously learned they had no control failed to attempt escape, even when the solution was readily available. They passively endured the pain, unlike the dogs who had learned they could exert control, who immediately sought escape.
This principle applies to humans, the author argues. Just as a student who repeatedly fails despite increased effort may conclude that their actions are futile, Israelis who have engaged in numerous protests and activism against the current government's policies without seeing significant change may develop a similar sense of helplessness. This diminished sense of efficacy, rather than a lack of understanding of the election's importance, leads to apathy.
Furthermore, the article suggests that the collective trauma of the October 7th attacks has eroded the illusion of peaceful coexistence without a political solution for the Palestinians. This has led to a more pragmatic, less emotionally driven approach to voting, where choices are based on perceived alignment with one's views rather than deep conviction. The author concludes that to re-energize the public, the focus should shift from emphasizing the election's importance to assigning concrete, achievable tasks that foster a sense of agency and collective impact, enabling people to overcome their apathy and act decisively.