Victim or Victor?
It’s terrible to be a victim. The United Nations refugee agency estimates that in 2020 more than 80 million people around the world were displaced from their homes by violence and persecution. Further, population growth and the rise of a complex, competitive and largely impersonal world has increased the number of individuals subjected to harm, injury or death where they live. There are myriad possible causes of action including environmental, economic, societal and political that impact physical, emotional and financial well being. Recognition of the widespread incidence of victimhood is exemplified by the World Society of Victimology, a non-governmental organization working with the United Nations that consults and advocates on global victims’ issues and holds an annual symposium for stakeholders.
One would think that with more than 1% of the world population factually victimized in very objective ways there would already be too many victims. What could ever be appealing about becoming a victim? Yet victimhood is on the rise and for reasons as much related to feelings as fact.
The examination of objective versus subjective evidence for misfortune and resulting behavior is a growing field. Some research suggests that subjective measures tend toward negative assessments. For example, in his General Strain Theory first developed in 1992, Robert Agnew explained that “events which are perceived to be especially negative by those who experience them are positively correlated with a greater likelihood of criminal behavior.” Further, Agnew makes a distinction between “objective” strains, which refer to events and conditions which are disliked by most people in a given group, and “subjective” strains, which refer to events and conditions which are disliked by the people who have experienced them. “Subjective strains should be more strongly associated with crime, since they are more likely to generate the negative emotions that lead to crime.”
A June 2020 article in the International Journal of Data Science and Analytics, Measuring Objective and Subjective Well Being, discusses the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s (OECD) six objective and observable dimensions of the measurement of well being: health; job opportunities; socioeconomic development; environment; safety and politics, that together represent objective well being, the extent to which “needs” are satisfied. The subjective approach examines people’s personal evaluations of their own lives, as self-reported. The dimensions of subjective self-reported well being are: the role of human genes; universal needs; social environment; economic environment and political environment.
The authors explain that in subjective measurement, the two main categories of self-reporting are affects and thoughts. The first, feelings, emotions and moods; and the second, thoughts about whether or not people’s life expectations have been fulfilled according to their cultural or societal standards in evaluating their satisfaction with life. The upshot is that people self-reporting measurements of well being that fall below ‘expectations of life satisfaction,’ are life unfortunates, life victims.
Intersectionality, the broadening of the concept of life victims, took root in academic and then popular culture with the highly influential 1989 work by Kimberlé Crenshaw, “Demarginalizing The Intersection Of Race And Sex: A Black Feminist Critique Of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory And Antiracist Politics.” The Oxford Dictionary defines Intersectionality: “The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.” Intersectionality proposes an analytical framework for understanding how aspects of a person’s social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege, typically recognized through gender, caste, sex, race, class, sexuality, religion, disability, physical appearance and height.
There are certainly objective measures of the aspects addressed by intersectionality, but what of the subjective self-reported measures? One subjective self-reported result of objective observation of an aspect is stigma.
The Greek origin of stigma described a mark, tattoo or burn administered to a convict, slave or otherwise subordinate and dishonored class of society. While Merriam-Webster defines stigma as a mark of shame or discredit, the modern idea of a social stigma is the “reasonable anticipation of an adverse social judgement about a person or group identified with a particular aspect of intersectionality.”
In June 2018 the Journal of Social Issues published the article “Intersectional Oppression: Multiple Stigmatized Identities and Perceptions of Invisibility, Discrimination, and Stereotyping.”
The piece reported on a survey of 602 participants having from 0-3 “stigmatized identities based on gender, race, sexual orientation and social class,” about their “feelings of invisibility and expectations of experiencing discrimination due to their group memberships.” The study expressed the conclusion that “multi-stigmatized individuals are keenly aware of their invisibility and that invisibility represents a source of perceived discrimination and stereotyping for multiple-stigmatized individuals.”
It would seem then that today, with the various aspects of intersectionality describing the entire universe of people, and the liberty of anyone self-reporting a stigmatized identity and expectation of discrimination, that, we can all be victims! And indeed, a look at the social landscape affirms this conclusion as in a 2015 The Atlantic article “The Rise of Victimhood Culture” by Conor Friedersdorf.
“Under conditions lacking intimacy and cultural homogeneity, complaints to third parties has supplanted both toleration and negotiation. People increasingly demand help from others, and advertise their oppression as evidence that they deserve respect and assistance. Thus we might call this moral culture a culture of victimhood . . . the moral status of victim . . . has risen to new heights.”
According to The Victim Mentality, What it is and How You Use It, published in 2016, victim mentality is an acquired personality trait. The many millions acquiring this trait since the identification of victimhood culture in the last decade are likely doing themselves no good. In the June 2020, Scientific American article Unraveling the Mindset of Victimhood, author Scott Barry Kaufman cites Rahav Gabay and others that find “an ongoing feeling that the self is a victim, which is generalized across relationships. As a result, victimization becomes a central part of the individual’s identity.” Further, that “Those who have a perpetual victimhood mindset tend to have an ‘external locus of control’; they believe that one’s life is entirely under the control of forces outside one’s self, such as fate, luck or the mercy of other people.”
And the victimhood mindset has a vibrant outward expression as well. Gabay writes that interpersonal victimhood consists of four main dimensions: (a) constantly seeking recognition for one’s victimhood, (b) moral elitism, (c) lack of empathy for the pain and suffering of others, and (d) frequently ruminating about past victimization. Delving deeper, we find in the mindset the perpetual need to have one’s suffering acknowledged. Suffering shatters assumptions about the world as a just and moral place. Recognition of victimhood seems to help reestablish confidence in a fair and just world. Moral elitism often develops as a defense mechanism against perceived stigmas that helps construct a positive self image. “Those under distress tend to deny their own aggressiveness and destructive impulses and project them onto others. The “other” is perceived as threatening whereas the self is perceived as persecuted, vulnerable and morally superior. Splitting the world into those who are “saints” versus those who are “pure evil” may protect oneself from pain and damage to their self-image, but ultimately stunts growth and development and ignores the ability to see the self and the world in all of its complexities.”
Unraveling found that the Lack of Empathy dimension manifested as people so preoccupied with their own victimhood that they are oblivious to the pain and suffering of others; that they feel entitled to behave aggressively and selfishly, ignoring the suffering of others, taking more for themselves and leaving less to others. The Authors observed that individuals may feel as though they have suffered enough and so no longer feel obligated to care about others, passing up opportunities to help others. According to the article, increased attention to victimization reduces empathy toward others, in fact, through preoccupation with suffering, can develop an “egoism of victimhood” – those unable to see any other perspective, unwilling to empathize and incapable of accepting responsibility for harm they inflict on others.
Further, those frequently ruminating about past victimization constantly brood and talk about their stigmas, offenses, causes and consequences rather than consider or discuss possible solutions. Such individuals typically project past offenses to the future, abandon notions of forgiveness and drive to seek revenge. A consequence of victimhood is the creation of a different subjective reality.
That reality consists of no personal responsibility, a reliable excuse for every adverse situation, assigning blame to others or the system, entitlement demands for recompense for what is owed, justification for laments and abandonment of hope and the possibility of positive future change.
The research indicates that such individuals tend to be dependent on the approval and continual validation of others stemming from doubts about their own social value. From Unraveling,
“Through many different channels—such as education, TV programs and online social media—group members can learn that victimhood can be leveraged as a power play, and that aggressiveness can be legitimate and fair if one party has suffered. People may learn that internalizing a victimhood mentality can give them power over others and protect them from any of the consequences of their choices.”
“But there’s the thing: If socialization processes can instill in individuals a victimhood mindset, then surely the very same processes can instill in people a personal growth mindset. What if we all learned at a young age that our traumas don’t have to define us? That it’s possible to have experienced a trauma and for victimhood to not form the core of our identity? That it’s even possible to grow from trauma, to become a better person, to use the experiences we’ve had in our lives toward working to instill hope and possibility to others who were in a similar situation? What if we all learned that it’s possible to have healthy pride for an in-group without having out-group hate? That if you expect kindness from others, it pays to be kind yourself? That no one is entitled to anything, but we all are worthy of being treated as human? This would be quite the paradigm shift . . . “
A paradigm shift toward a mindset of personal growth . . . While we have seen there is a widening embrace of the victim mentality, even an egoism of victimhood, with far reaching implications for society, our culture and future, every victim whether objectively or subjectively defined, can change into a victor.
Berkeley Professor Thomas Kuhn coined the term paradigm shift in his influential 1962 work the Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Intended to explain the progress of knowledge, and emphasize that historically there have been complete transformations in the way we understand our world, Kuhn also compared a paradigm shift to a religious experience, as being born again with completely new and different understanding.
“And do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . .” Romans 12.2
Without doubt, regardless of your worldview and faith, along with hope life can bring hardship.
“In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
In the Christian experience, belief and prayer are sources of healing for both the objective and subjective victims, those of both fact and feeling. Importantly when understanding the egoism of victimhood as a defense mechanism against a poor self image, Christian faith can offer belief in temporal blessings and eternal salvation to establish and sustain a positive self worth. Everyone is worthy of love. In fact, the Bible teaches that God loves all of his children. That He has plans for us, gives us strength and will prosper and protect us is foundational to the Christian faith and food to fuel a positive self image.
“We love, because he first loved us.” John 4:19
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declared the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
And God will strengthen people toward first self-love, and then the love of others.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
The age old question is, “Do you want to be made well?” Indeed, Jesus asked as much of those who beckoned to him for relief.
“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” John 5:6
For certainly, recognized by the penetrating question of Jesus, the desire to be made well, especially from long experience, requires a change of mind and of life – a change from the mindset of victim to one of victor.
As we saw above, the victim mentality is comprised of a host of affects that determine how one lives their life. God wants to free you from this acquired negative and unproductive personality and restore you to health, hope and self-confidence.
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10
Still, the mindset of the victor requires responsibility, personal growth and fruitfulness.
“So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12
“You will recognize them (my Children) by their fruits.” Mathew 7:16
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control” Galatians 5:22 – 23
In an existential sense, to be a legitimate victim, one must be innocent, and there was only one innocent life in the history of the world. In Christ, the perfect paradox, ultimate victim and victor, the teaching for mankind was love, not vengeance.
“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued trusting Himself to Him who judges justly.” 1 Peter 2:22-23
Whether judged objectively by this world, or subjectively self-reported, these days anyone can be a victim; and in the love of Christ, everyone can be a victor.
“For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4
“Now in all these things, we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37
“for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world . . . “ 1 John 5:4
“But thanks be to God. He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57
The choice is simple and the results sublime – historically proven for individuals, families, communities, our Nation and our future.
Scotus
World Society of Victimology
Vasiliki Voukelatou, Measuring Objective and Subjective Well Being, International Journal of Data Science and Analytics, June 2020
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41060-020-00224-2
Conor Friedersdorf, The Rise of Victimhood Culture, The Atlantic, September, 2015
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/the-rise-of-victimhood-culture/404794/
Robert Agnew, Building on the Foundation of General Strain Theory, Journal of Research on Crime and Delinquincy, 2001
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222823020_The_relationship_between_crime_and_objective_versus_subjective_strains
Sott Barry Kaufman, Unraveling the Mindset of Victimhood, Scientific American, June 2020
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/unraveling-the-mindset-of-victimhood/
photo credit: Robert Smirke, A Victorious Soldier Crowned on the Battlefield, 1798, The National Galleries of Scotland