Victim Thinking

Consistent and persistent complaints lead to the victim label. And real problems lead to the complaints. But why is one person likely to respond as a victim to real problems while another is not?

Role models have an impact. Victim thinking can be contagious. When people join a new corporate culture, they often adopt the majoritys response to responsibility. In organizations that can be said to have a blame culture, new people pick up the disease.

Victim orientation can also come from personal insecurity. Life experiences can leave a person feeling fundamentally insecure . For example, if parents dont create a feeling in a child of trust, the child may grow up feeling vulnerable. Indeed, children need to know that Mommy or Daddy or Caregiver is totally reliable. That trust creates a foundation for healthy self-esteem. Imagine being a child of unreliable parents! Unfortunately, most kidsmaybe all kids feel some degree of insecurity. Perhaps it is just part of our humanity. We cant always get what we want. The feeling of insecurity, though it comes in degrees, is universal. As I said, we can all fall into victim mode.

Insecurity can also come from external sources such as the work environment. For example, people who work in organizations that have had to lay people off or are quick to dismiss people are a little paranoid about the reactions they may run into. Also, working for a boss who tends to invalidate his employees can create feelings of insecurity. Its ironic that some bosses bemoan the presence of victims on their team so loudly and regularly that they create a perfect environment for victim thinking to get out of hand. They blame; they generalize; they judge.