I Was Astonished to Learn I Had Victim Mentality

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I was astonished to find out I had victim mentality! (photo credit: Andrea Piacquiado)

I was not, and never have been, a pessimist.

I never thought the world was against me. Or “poor me.” Or, “No matter what I do, nothing turns out right.” My victim mentality was much more subtle than that. I thought pretty highly of myself — I knew I was intelligent, strong, capable. I wasn’t waiting around for someone to come fix my life.

When I came across people with obvious victim mentality, they pissed me off. There was no way I was like “them.” What changed things for me was this: I realized I was thinking, “If they would only just [fill in the blank] then everything would be ok.” That is victim mentality.

This realization was an absolute game-changer for me!

I was shocked to learn I had internalized this way of thinking. Victim mentality can be a really sneaky mindset, especially if you’ve ever been victimized. Understanding that I had victim mentality changed everything for me. For example, I used to blame the world (like traffic, the toothpaste cap) for my difficulties. This shift helped me understand what things I can and cannot control. Then, I was able to take action on things within my power to change. I can’t tell you how much more ease and comfort, peace and serenity I have in my life now. It’s incredible.