Victimhood Is The Real Disease Plaguing America

The victimhood mentality is an addictive ailment that prompts individuals to compete in showcasing their perceived oppression based on factors such as race, religion, gender, weight, or sexual orientation. This trend is amplified through social media platforms like TikTok, where a popular activity known as "trauma dumping" involves users sharing their hardships on their expensive smartphones to evoke pity from their online community. The government and media contribute to this invisible obstacle, convincing people that overcoming these challenges to reach their full potential is unattainable.

The Media’s Efforts Behind the Victimhood Narrative 

The rise of victimhood in the U.S. is driven by the growing perception that individuals are entitled to various benefits, such as housing and education, as rights rather than privileges. The media plays a crucial role in perpetuating this entitlement culture, contributing to the belief that these privileges can be obtained without putting in the necessary work.

Teen Vogue, a proponent of this perspective, has published articles such as “An Eviction Crisis is Coming – We Need to Treat Housing as a Right.” In the article, the publication faults capitalism for economic struggles, neglecting to address the impact of enforcing lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. They write, “Congress did not rise to the occasion, providing or even seriously considering necessary, transformational policies like universal basic income (UBI), universal health care, rent suspension, or debt forgiveness.” In other words, they’re using the negative results of Covid lockdowns to spread their socialist agenda. 

Publications like Teen Vogue are shaping the perspectives of the future generation and fueling an entitled culture. They convey the message to Gen Z that it's the government's responsibility to save them, rather than emphasizing individual accountability. The truth is, it’s not the government's responsibility to furnish us with income, education, or housing. Instead, it’s our own responsibility to earn it through our efforts.

Embracing Victimhood Hampers Societal Productivity 

Political leaders, particularly within the Democratic party, bank on the victimhood mentality as a form of propaganda. They assert that individuals lack the capacity to save themselves, promoting a narrative that only the government can offer salvation. Through advocating for extensive government handouts like welfare, affordable housing, and food stamps, their objective seems to be fostering complete dependence.

Returning to America's founding principles, such as civic duty, grit, individual responsibility, and resilience, is essential for our society.

This is depicted in today’s Black America. Prior to the implementation of the “Great Society” program in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, black families were flourishing. I’ll admit Johnson’s initiatives contributed to an overall reduction in poverty rates in black communities. However, addressing the racial income gap could have been more effectively achieved by supporting black-owned businesses. Instead, he just distributed checks to struggling black families. As a result, fast forward to today, we observe alarming and crushing statistics among black Americans. In 2022, 51% of black children lived in single-parent households vs only 25% in 1960. According to the FBI’s statistics, in 2018, black Americans committed a disproportionate number of crimes in the United States, representing nearly 40% of U.S. murders while only representing 13% of the American population. In California, the state with the highest number of welfare recipients, 75% of black students fail to meet the state’s reading standards. The famous Lao Tzu quote, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime,” holds true here. 

Victimhood Promotes Excuses Instead of Solutions 

Contrary to the ineffective and unproductive nature of victimhood, you should shift toward embracing free-market capitalism as an alternative. This economic system has been proven to pave the way for individual and financial success, fostering personal responsibility and initiative.

Most entrepreneurs have developed innovative ideas and creations by addressing problems. They actively sought ways to overcome challenges and find remedies. Embracing a victimhood mentality leads to a habit of complaining and wallowing in negativity, rather than adopting a solution-oriented mindset. Success often hinges on being proactive and solution-focused.

Lauryn Evarts Bosstick, popularly known as The Skinny Confidential, underwent a challenging double jaw surgery that left her face severely swollen and inflamed for three years. Instead of succumbing to complaints and adopting a victimhood mindset, she utilized this period to search for a solution to reduce inflammation. Through her research, she identified a gap in the market and created an effective ice roller, which quickly became a bestseller. Bosstick exemplifies the ability to transform adversity into opportunity, offering a unique solution to her inflammation problem that was not previously addressed.

Stop Blaming Your Failures on Oppression

In today’s society, we’re encouraged to blame our mistakes and shortcomings on the system that supposedly oppresses us. Didn't get into the school you wanted? Blame it on racism rather than acknowledging your lack of preparation. Not making enough money? Point to the gender inequality gap instead of considering your career choices. Can't fit in an airplane seat? Accuse the airlines of fatphobia rather than addressing your personal eating and exercise habits. 

This narrative is not only lazy but also prevents us from experiencing the essential emotion of shame. Shame serves as motivation to positively change our actions for the future, allowing us to learn and grow from our mistakes. By attributing bad behavior solely to external oppression, we hinder our ability to introspect and become better individuals. Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s business partner who faced extreme devastation from losing a child to leukemia, said it best: “Whenever you think that some situation or some person is ruining your life, it’s actually you who are ruining your life. It’s such a simple idea. Feeling like a victim is a perfectly disastrous way to go through life. If you just take the attitude that however bad it is in any way, it’s always your fault, and you just fix it as best you can…I think that really works.” 

Acknowledging that suffering is inevitable provides an opportunity for potential growth in moments of pain.

Victimhood also promotes division among people and undermines the shared values that bind a diverse nation, fostering an "us versus them" mentality. The media is using victimhood to provoke the cycle of blame and finger-pointing that we’re seeing today. “You're a bigot! You're homophobic! You’re racist! You’re sexist! You’re fatphobic!” As a consequence, the focus on oppression shifts away from constructive dialogue and collaboration toward a culture of resentment and division. In the end, individuals miss out on opportunities for personal growth in the pursuit of the “Oppressed Olympics.”

Immunity from Suffering Doesn’t Exist

Nobody is immune to suffering, and while I understand that some face far greater challenges than others, it’s essential to understand the privilege of waking up and living in the United States. Even in today’s political landscape, the gift of a new day warrants gratitude. 

Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector and TPUSA Contributor, articulates this sentiment well. In her book While Time Remains, she states, “In America, the people railing against their own country are often overfed or obsessed with intentionally limiting the amount of food they eat. Often, they will ‘speak out’ against American history, society, capitalism, and democracy on an American social media platform from their American phone or computer, or on the campus of a world-class American university, or on the street with the permission of American government authorities and the protection of American police officers.” Similar to North Korea, there are many countries where this behavior isn’t tolerated. 

Maybe we’ve lost the plot because we’re a generation that hasn’t encountered significant challenges. According to Exploding Topics, a whopping 81.6% of the United States population actively uses a costly smartphone. This high smartphone penetration suggests that a majority of our generation never experienced the genuine fear of starvation or worried about when they’ll have their next meal. In fact, many spend money on gym memberships to actively burn calories. As subsequent generations forget hard times like the Dust Bowl and food rationing during the World Wars, our appreciation for the efforts that went into building the abundance we currently indulge in diminishes.

Closing Thoughts

As our culture embraces victimhood, we become addicted to the quick fix and comfort of wallowing in our sorrows. By all means, recognize the challenges and hardships you’ll face in life. However, returning to America's founding principles, such as civic duty, grit, individual responsibility, and resilience, is essential for our society. Ditch the notion that external forces will save you. Taking the initiative becomes crucial, and acknowledging that suffering is inevitable provides an opportunity for potential growth in moments of pain.

When I catch myself falling into the trap of victimhood and complaining about trivial issues, I pose a crucial question: "Would my grandparents or great-grandparents be proud of me?" I’ll draw a comparison between my struggles and theirs, realizing the insignificance of my challenges in comparison. Motivated by this reflection, I take proactive steps to work hard and contribute to building a better world for the next generation, striving to make my bloodline before me proud.

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