How will we break free?

There is an old story told..

A passer-by sees a big elephant with a short rope around its leg tied to a small peg.

The trainer explains to the man that the elephant has become conditioned and has learnt that it can’t break free from chain. As a young elephant, every time it struggled to break free from the rope, it would hurt its leg.

Now even as a grown up elephant tied on the same rope, it does not dare break free.

What have we learnt to give up without trying?

How can we avoid it?