Is the Trauma Narrative Helpful?

Body

“As a counselor, I’ve found value in the increasing awareness of how trauma can affect a person. But I’ve wondered if trauma-directed narratives can skew our understanding of ourselves and others.” - TGC

Discussion

Rich Men North of Richmond: The Trouble with Outrage Anthems

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“…the view that your choices have a real impact on your life, tends to predict socioeconomic success. The opposite is also true: When someone views themselves as mainly a victim of things beyond their control, it often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.” - Breakpoint

Discussion

Why are perceptions of the Church so far from the reality?

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“In 1979, sociologist Christopher Lasch wrote The Culture of Narcissism, arguing that as the bonds of religious identity and family erode, Americans were increasingly looking inward for security and meaning. In such a culture, feelings and subjective experiences aren’t just considered the most important thing in the world: They’re considered the most accurate view of the world.” - Breakpoint

Discussion

The trouble with perpetual victimhood

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“It’s not ‘lived experience’ getting erased in the students’ minds. It’s the obvious difference between assigning blame for an act already committed and forestalling an act that might be avoided. Could it be that some victims and their advocates are not merely camping out on victimhood, but identifying as victims?” - Janie Cheaney

Discussion

Identity Politics on the Right?

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“The final, and perhaps most significant, problem with identity politics as currently practiced on the left is that it has stimulated the rise of identity politics on the right … . the right has adopted the language and framing of identity from the left: the idea that my particular group is being victimized” - Fukuyama via Veith

Discussion