Rock the LOTE

I was reading about “learned helplessness," a psychological condition that arises when one is not able to effect a change in one’s environment. It is characterized by “a drop in zest, decreasing clarity, withdrawal from connection, less self-knowledge, and a decrease in sense of self-worth.” To me, this is what it feels like to be on my sevent

What does it mean to put one's foot down, though, when the other option is so terrifying? When the system doesn't give a shit whether your foot is down?