The victim mentality
I would like to share my thoughts on the: “I am a victim. The world owes me something because my ancestors were slaves” mentality. I’ll start with the obvious. This mentality has it’s philosophical roots in Marxism, which for the most part explains its errancy. The basic premise is that society is divided into two categories – “victims” and “oppressors”. The oppressors are always wrong and the victims are always right. The goal of political activity (and everything regarded as political) is to disempower the oppressors and to empower the victims (so that the victims can jolly well get on with some oppressing of their own).
However, in the all the furor, rules that were formerly absolute, such as freedom of thought and expression, are discarded whenever the victims’ interests so demand. If an oppressor says something that offends a designated victim, they are immediately sentenced to sensitivity training. Of course the victims may abuse the oppressors all they like.
This mentality is supposedly based on a passion for “tolerance” and “dialogue” but the passion only lasts until the victims have enough power to turn on the oppressors. This is of course self-contradictory. The designated “victims” are in fact victimized, but in another sense. The effect of this mentality is to keep the victims in a state of dependency so they can be manipulated by demagogues.
People who are festering with resentment for real and imagined grievances can be easily persuaded that their welfare depends on following the demagogues and extortionists who promise to wrest concessions from the oppressors (reparations, for example). The real question we should be asking is: “How can we help the “victims” to understand that the manipulators who endeavour to keep them in a state of sullen resentment are their worst enemies?” It is impossible to perpetually see oneself as a victim and amount to anything in this life. So as you think in your heart, so shall it be (Proverbs 23:7).
However, in the all the furor, rules that were formerly absolute, such as freedom of thought and expression, are discarded whenever the victims’ interests so demand. If an oppressor says something that offends a designated victim, they are immediately sentenced to sensitivity training. Of course the victims may abuse the oppressors all they like.
This mentality is supposedly based on a passion for “tolerance” and “dialogue” but the passion only lasts until the victims have enough power to turn on the oppressors. This is of course self-contradictory. The designated “victims” are in fact victimized, but in another sense. The effect of this mentality is to keep the victims in a state of dependency so they can be manipulated by demagogues.
People who are festering with resentment for real and imagined grievances can be easily persuaded that their welfare depends on following the demagogues and extortionists who promise to wrest concessions from the oppressors (reparations, for example). The real question we should be asking is: “How can we help the “victims” to understand that the manipulators who endeavour to keep them in a state of sullen resentment are their worst enemies?” It is impossible to perpetually see oneself as a victim and amount to anything in this life. So as you think in your heart, so shall it be (Proverbs 23:7).
