There are no devils but those which are begotten upon selfishness and reared by cunning. There are similarities between learned helplessness and depression. Both are marked by feelings of despondency, powerlessness, and hopelessness. To be depriving themselves of the advantage of other eyes and other judgments might be an evil even beyond the loss of present pleasure. Helpless humans display decreased activity, lowered aggression, blunted appetite, and a loss of sex drive, and tend to see themselves as failing, even when they are not. A true friendship with God brings out true delight. This friendship means being so intimately in touch with God that you never even need to ask Him to show you His will. It is evidence of a level of intimacy which confirms that you are nearing the final stage of your discipline in the life of faith. When you have a right-standing relationship with God, you have a life of freedom, liberty, and delight; you are God’s will. To deny a man the preferment which he merits, and to give it to another man who doth not, is a manifest act of injustice, and is consequently inconsistent with both honor and honesty. Satan has faithful instruments, and the dedication of these humans, to ungodly behavior, is a stronger bond than the ties of virtue. Depression is one of the most widespread emotional problems, and it undoubtedly has man causes. However, learned helplessness seems to explain many cases of depression and hopelessness.

For example, the fate of Archie, age 15, and a young man. For Archie, school is an unending series of shocks and failures. Other students, especially the older women, treat him as if they have lost their minds; in class he rarely answers questions because he does not know some of the words. He feels knocked down everywhere he turns. Is there such depravity in man as that he should injure another without benefit to himself? There is no human institution, however wise and salutary in its natural effects, which the depravity of a man cannot prevent to the most pernicious purpose. Men will not be depraved beyond the persuasion of some motive, and self-interest will often be the parent of social obligation. These may not be electric shocks, but they are certainly emotional shocks, and Archie has learned to feel helpless to prevent them. When he leaves school, his chances of success will be poor unless he has a talent he can hone. He has learned to passively endure whatever shocks life has in store in him. Therefore, make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as you were told, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming to be God himself.

The secret power of the lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way. The people who do wrong do not believe the truth, but have delighted in unmentionable ways. Because men are by nature prone to sin, is therefore the devil a good being, which eternally solicits and prompts them to it? It seems obvious, for instance, that someone like Archie would benefit from an educational program that would allow him to succeed repeatedly. In mastery training, responses are reinforced that lead to a mastery of a threat or control over one’s environment. People who undergo such training become more resistant to learned vulnerability. For example, people who learn to run from trouble become more persistent in trying to flee inescapable drama and sad stories. In effect, they will not give up, even when the situation really looks destitute. Such findings suggest that we might be able to immunize people against defenselessness and despair by allowing them to master difficult challenges. The people who stand up to the rigors of aggression, and learn to survive are healthier than the average person. Do not engage in conflict. Do not feed it. Similarly, psychologist have found that the mental and physical health of seniors, who live in dorms or nursing homes, can be improved by giving them more control over their lives.

Things as snack as choosing what to eat for lunch or being allowed to decorate one’s room can be enough to counteract feelings of feebleness. Men will not be depraved beyond the persuasion of some motive, and self-interest will often by the parent of social obligation. Finally, the value of confidence should not be overlooked. As fragile as this emotion seems to be, it is a powerful antidote to unhappiness and weakness. You can always control your own behavior, even if it means looking like a wimp, better to be at peace than to act like a violent wild animal. As an individual, you may find optimism in religion, nature, human companionship, or even technology. Wherever you find it, remember its value: Courage is among the most important of all human emotions. Having good beliefs such as optimism, faith, and a sense of meaning and control is closely related to personal well-being. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, through for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. However, when God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While you were still sinners, Christ died for you, and since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, and how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!