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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.



Obviously we’re speaking in generalities, but sometimes people reclaim that power vía speaking up about victimhood.


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?


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.




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