Post by Hoosier Hillbilly on Oct 23, 2014 11:25:27 GMT -5
2
Abstract
P
eople who suffer from the
v
ictim
s
yndrome
are always complain
ing
about the ―bad
things that happen
‖
in their lives.
Because
they believe they have no control over th
e
way events unfold, they don
’
t feel a sense of responsibility
for them
.
O
ne moment, they
present themselves
dramatically
as victims; the next, they morph into victimizers,
hurting
the people trying
to help them
and leaving would
-
be helpers with a sense of
utter
frustration.
P
eople with a victim mentality
display
p
assive
-
aggressive
characteristics
when
interacting with others.
The
ir
behavior has a self
-
defeating, almost masochistic quality.
The victim style becomes a relational mode
—
a life affirming activi
ty: I am miserable
therefore
I
am
.
In this article, I present
three
examples of people
with
this syndrome
and
a checklist
that
can be used
to identify
sufferers
.
I also discuss
the concept of secondary gain
—
the
―benefits‖ people get from
perpetuating
a pr
oblem
—
and the developmental origins of
the victim mind
-
set.
The article ends with
advice
on how to help people who suffer from
the
v
ictim
s
yndrome
www.insead.edu/facultyresearch/research/doc.cfm?did=50114
Abstract
P
eople who suffer from the
v
ictim
s
yndrome
are always complain
ing
about the ―bad
things that happen
‖
in their lives.
Because
they believe they have no control over th
e
way events unfold, they don
’
t feel a sense of responsibility
for them
.
O
ne moment, they
present themselves
dramatically
as victims; the next, they morph into victimizers,
hurting
the people trying
to help them
and leaving would
-
be helpers with a sense of
utter
frustration.
P
eople with a victim mentality
display
p
assive
-
aggressive
characteristics
when
interacting with others.
The
ir
behavior has a self
-
defeating, almost masochistic quality.
The victim style becomes a relational mode
—
a life affirming activi
ty: I am miserable
therefore
I
am
.
In this article, I present
three
examples of people
with
this syndrome
and
a checklist
that
can be used
to identify
sufferers
.
I also discuss
the concept of secondary gain
—
the
―benefits‖ people get from
perpetuating
a pr
oblem
—
and the developmental origins of
the victim mind
-
set.
The article ends with
advice
on how to help people who suffer from
the
v
ictim
s
yndrome
www.insead.edu/facultyresearch/research/doc.cfm?did=50114