Locus is on old Latin word meaning to put or place. Every human being consciously or unconsciously places control over her life inside or outside of herself. A person who perceives she is in charge of her life has an internal locus of control (ILOC). She uses goals, planning, decision making, initiative, will power, and the taking of specific actions to shape her life. All would agree that such a person displays the virtues of agency, independence, and self-sufficiency. People with an external locus of control (ELOC) might believe their lives are ruled by God, karma, good luck, bad luck, ancestral blessings or curses, the stars or the random events of a chaotic meaningless universe. A person with an ELOC might not subscribe to any of those beliefs and yet her very behavior manifests an ELOC. Examples are being highly dependent on others for validation, approval, advice, and the feeling of safety; being financially dependent upon one’s parents long past the socially accepted time; seeing oneself as a perpetual victim who is deserving of and can only survive with outside assistance from government agencies, charities, religious institutions or non-profit helpers; or rendering oneself helpless, sick or impoverished by poor decisions as an unconscious strategy to be rescued. Unfortunately, outside rescue frequently comes at the high cost of dependence, submission, and loss of dignity. Narcissists and other exploiters can spot a victim in need of rescue. like an eagle spots a mouse in a field. Why does one person have an ILOC and another an ELOC? As a developing child the decision of where to place your locus of control is an unconscious one conditioned by parents, culture, religion, and random events that influence one’s perception of who is in charge of one’s life. I have clients who have lived with an ELOC for decades who finally wake up in therapy and move the locus of control inside. This shift makes a huge positive difference in their lives and produces increased self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. A crucial part of this transformation is helping the client to understand the concept of locus of control and become self-aware of when, why, and how she developed an ELOC and what it has cost her. People who live with an ELOC are more at risk of depression, anxiety or both than those with an ILOC. One exception I have witnessed are people of strong religious faith who believe that the Supreme Being is loving, compassionate, and forgiving, and does all things for a very good reason, even if it is one humans cannot perceive.
