Victimhood

“We live in a time when we are defined as disabled, bipolar, alcoholic, ADHD, victims of lupus, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and nearly everything else. Our condition easily becomes our primary reference point. I am an insulin-dependent diabetic, but my disease doesn’t define me.” - Randy Alcorn

“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

“…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

“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

“About two-thirds of U.S. adults (65%) say that ‘people being too easily offended’ is a major problem in the country today, while a slimmer majority – 53% – say that ‘people saying offensive things to others’ is a major problem” - Pew

“Can empathy ever be sinful? Well, yes, most certainly… . But I don’t think this is at all what people at the mega-church are complaining about or accusing the pastor(s) of doing.” - Roger Olson

“As a result, our culture values fragility over strength, and embellishes a constant good-versus-evil conflict, even over the smallest of issues. From elections to Facebook posts to hygiene practices — almost everything takes on the emotional temperature of a religion.” - Stonestreet

“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

“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

From Tragedy To Victimization: Whatever It Is, It’s All About Me