Everyone thinks they’re a victim. It doesn’t matter what their position in life, whether or not they’re rich or poor, where they came from, what their religion is, what color they are, or how intelligent they may be. This is because everyone thinks they’re the center of the universe, and they can clearly see that they aren’t, that must mean somebody or something is working against them; hence victim. Self-aware people can cope with this realization but, nevertheless, they still think they’re a victim even if they accept it as sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you.

The simple fact is, life is mostly a zero-sum gain, meaning that when one person “wins,” another, or many, lose. Yes, a raising tide lifts all ships so in that perspective, things can improve for everyone, but the blatant truth is, you’re going to be a loser in a lot more things than you win. If you’ve not been taught to accept that fact then a person’s natural inclination is to cast themselves as oppressed to someone else’s oppressor. We have an entire political party in America whose worldview is seen through the victim lens. Obviously, victimhood is psychological; two people in the exact same circumstances can see their role as diametric opposites. Since happiness comes from one interpretation while misery comes from the other, the choice of which to be is obvious.