For the sake of this discussion, I am defining "Perpetual Victimhood" as referring to a mindset or behavior in which an individual or group perpetually perceive themselves as victims, often regardless of actual circumstances.
This spiritual/mental illness involves a habitual pattern of framing experiences through the lenses of suffering, injustice, and/or oppression, sometimes to the point of resisting accountability, growth, or alternative perspectives.
The key characteristics of this are:
What are your experiences with the soldiers of perpetual victimhood?
MM
This spiritual/mental illness involves a habitual pattern of framing experiences through the lenses of suffering, injustice, and/or oppression, sometimes to the point of resisting accountability, growth, or alternative perspectives.
The key characteristics of this are:
- Persistent grievance through continual focus on past or present wrongs.
- Externalization of blame by way of the tendency to blame others for all misfortunes, thus avoiding self-reflection.
- Falsely practicing a stand upon moral high ground, thus believing that victim status confers moral superiority or justification.
- Resistance to resolution, thus avoiding solutions that might end the victim role. This is a favorite path because the identity or perceived benefits (i.e., sympathy, attention, or exemption from criticism) are too valuable and powerful weapons to not bring to bear upon the perceived necessity for victory at all costs...even when the cost is to personal integrity, or lack thereof.
- Overly generalizing by broadly assuming, without proof, malicious intent by way of equivocation of systemic oppression in diverse or unrelated situations.
- Can emerge from cases of real trauma or injustice but becomes maladaptive when the victim allows the injustice to become a core part of identity.
- May limit emotional resilience and hinder personal development toward healing and functionally integrating into a unified culture with all others.
- In group contexts (i.e., politics, culture), it can polarize dialogue and inhibit reconciliation or collaboration since polarization is the modus operandi of a self-made broken spirit.
What are your experiences with the soldiers of perpetual victimhood?
MM