The purpose of this essay is to evaluate whether people can truly withstand all negative circumstances from feeling inferior. In other words, is Roosevelt right in saying that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent? By aligning Stoic philosophy and cognitive behavioral therapy in emphasizing individual cognitive appraisal, the essay acknowledges the empowering potential of resisting feelings of inferiority. However, it later argues that the applicability of this kind of resilience is not universal and limited to circumstances of everyday criticism. To be more specific, systemic oppression, marginalization and a traumatic upbringing can compromise an individual’s neurocognitive and psychological agency at a fundamental level. Through analyzing psychological concepts such as stereotype threat and learned helplessness, as well as examining neurobiological evidence on the impact of trauma on brain structures such as the amygdala and hippocampus, the essay shows how feelings of inferiority can become biologically ingrained and involuntary. Therefore, the findings support the paper’s conclusion that although Roosevelt’s maxim has value as an aspirational strategy for cultivating resilience, its moral and psychological force is reduced when systemic oppression or trauma has affected the ability to reappraise.
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Share and Cite
Zhu, N. (2025) The Limits of Consent: How Systemic Oppression and Trauma Undermine Eleanor Roosevelt’s Empowerment Ethic. Journal of Social Development and History, 1(3), 5-9.