4 ms·

Generally speaking, a victim is someone who didn't/doesn't have the power to keep themselves from being a victim.

• yosito 5y ago
  If you encourage someone to believe that they don't have the power to keep themselves from being a victim, generally speaking, that's a good way to turn them into a victim. Better approach: teach people to recognize and use the power they have to avoid becoming a victim when they encounter a potential victimizer.
  • seigando 5y ago
    Obviously we’re speaking in generalities, but sometimes people reclaim that power vía speaking up about victimhood.
    • yosito 5y ago
      Generally speaking, demanding to be recognized as a victim doesn't do much to prevent or end victimhood, and in many cases, actually hurts. I've seen far more people's lives ruined trapped in a victim mentality than I've seen ruined by saying "I refuse to see myself as a victim any longer. I have the power to do something about my situation." Many people were a victim of an incident or circumstances beyond their control. But who benefits by continuing to define those people by the things that they were a victim of? What purpose does it serve to keep them trapped, rather than giving them the power to overcome?
      • seigando 5y ago
        We might be getting a little stuck on the word 'victim'. My main point is that people speaking up about being hurt can be a way for them to find resolution around it. Sometimes other people don't like them speaking up, but personally I wouldn't think of it as my place to judge. >But who benefits by continuing to define those people by the things that they were a victim of? I think ideally it's up to the person themselves to decide when they no longer need that definition.