A VICTIMIZATION MENTALITY IS SO DEBILITATING
For the individual and for the political party as well.
“Victimization status is the modern promised land of absolution from personal responsibility.”
— Laura Schlessinger
Victimization in the case with Trump is a natural outgrowth to his narcissistic personality disorder. It also works well in an authoritarian movement in that the other, whomever they may be, can be demonized as being the aggressor against a class of people who are in all actuality the the aggressor. The goal is to have a target group who have not the means or inclination to fight back against to solidify the oppressive group, and devalue others. Trump's natural propensity to decry himself as a victim, while being the aggressor, plays into this dynamic to create an alternate reality for which is especially effective to a wide swath of MAGA Republicans. So his decrying of victimhood not only satisfies his disordered mind but also works politically well with his base, who fit comfortably into a mold of being the perpetual victim. This very dysfunctional human interaction is at the heart of the imagined grievances of a group who can never take responsibility, and who must always have someone else to blame for their lot in life.
A primary pathology of the narcissistic personality is delusional grandiosity. This is most obviously displayed as arrogant entitlement, but exaggerated victimhood is another persistent feature of narcissistic grandiosity that can be hard to detect and even harder to understand.
Why Narcissists Use the Victim Stance
Narcissists' compulsion to frame their experience as unjust and take the victim stance stems from their underlying instability and compensatory grandiosity. But playing up the part of the tragically wronged victim is also a manipulative strategy that serves their desire to control others and sidestep accountability for their opportunistic and abusive behavior.
Hypersensitivity. Because of their notorious emotional reactivity and hypersensitivity to not getting what they believe they deserve, whether it be attention, compliance, admiration, or forms of service, narcissists frequently experience feelings of unfairness or even persecution. The ordinary slights and setbacks we all endure are for the narcissistic personality enraging affronts to their sense of self-importance.
Feelings of Deprivation. Psychologically, the narcissistic personality operates from a perspective of deprivation, believing there is never enough deference to their feelings, needs, and specialness. Narcissists' sense of deprivation derives from an underdeveloped identity, an inability to validate their self-worth internally, and a compensatory delusion of superiority that creates cognitive dissonance between reality and their exaggerated expectations of what life owes them
Playing the victim seems to be a natural inclination to a group who identify with Jesus Christ’s story. But if one actually reads the Bible it is very clear that Jesus did not wish to be known as the martyr in the Christian story. The message was not to devolve into a “poor me” narrative in one’s life, and to beserk one’s responsibility by proclaiming victimhood is not the moral of the story of Jesus. But unfortunately, I do believe that this is used as an excuse to oppress the lives of the “others,” whomever they might be and claim a veneer of Christianity in it all. I observe this propensity in many of today’s ardent Christians who convince themselves that like Christ they feel the suffering due only to their particular faith alone. They are berserking their responsibility as adult Americans, using the story of Jesus’s personal sacrifice to play the part of the non-responsible victim. Foregoing the actual message and lesson of the Bible.
While there is no formal psychological definition of a victim mentality, a useful working definition is as follows.
If you have a victim mentality, you will see your entire life through a perspective that things constantly happen ‘to’ you. Victimisation is thus a combination of seeing most things in life as negative, beyond your control, and as something you should be given sympathy for experiencing as you ‘deserve’ better. At its heart, a victim mentality is actually a way to avoid taking any responsibility for yourself or your life. By believing you have no power then you don’t have to take action.
In other words, any bad thing in your life is the fault of other people. They’re the ones that are bad, wrong or dumb, and you are good, right and brilliant. Other people do bad or stupid things, and you suffer as a result.
People can be innocent victims. We can suffer unjust evil at the hands of others.
But we need to beware of moving from being an innocent victim, to adopting a victim mentality.
And in the case of other victims, we should affirm the reality of their suffering (and as we have opportunity, address it). But we do them a grave disservice if we promote in them a victim mentality.
1. The Bible Doesn’t Encourage a Victim Mentality.
While the Bible does recognise the reality of innocent victims, it stops short of affirming a victim mentality.
We see this firstly in the life of Jesus.
If anyone had a right to adopt a ‘victim mentality’ – blaming other people for their own unjust suffering – it was Jesus. And yet, according to Scripture, Jesus didn’t adopt any behaviour consistent with a victim mentality. Instead, in response to his suffering he had the mindset of a humble servant (Phil 2:7-8); he endured faithfully as he saw the joy that waited for him on the other side of his resurrection (Heb 12:2); and he actively trusted God throughout the ordeal (1 Peter 2:21-23), knowing there was a purpose behind his suffering (Mark 10:45). Furthermore, he lovingly suffered and bled for those who victimised him (1 Peter 2:21-24). Even in the midst of his suffering he prayed for their forgiveness (Luke 23:34).
The foremost victim of human history never adopted the victim mentality.
The foremost victim of human history never adopted the victim mentality … the New Testament commands Christians to have this same attitude
And the New Testament commands Christians to have this same attitude as Jesus.
Even as we undergo persecution, we’re never encouraged to adopt anything resembling a victim mentality. Instead, we’re to act responsibly: doing good in the midst of persecution with the aim of helping our enemies come to know Christ (1 Peter 2:12); not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult (1 Peter 2:20-23); not hating our enemies but loving them (Matt 5:44). And instead of blanket negativity in the face of unjust suffering, we’re to rejoice even as we grieve (1 Peter 1:6, 4:16). Notice these are active commands: there is no passivity or giving up in the face of suffering – even unjust suffering.
A victim mentality is not a biblical response to unjust suffering.
147th Posting, January 24, 2024.