Not every loss or trauma leads to a defeat response — it kicks in only when you feel that you have been beaten by your circumstances or rejected by your community. In other words, when you think there is nothing left that you can do and nobody who cares. As awful as it sounds, a defeat response is nature’s way of removing you from the picture so you don’t use up communal resources.
— The Upside of Stress (Kelly McGonigal), Loc. 2443–5