Victimhood Markets

I heard about you and that man
There's just one thing that I don't understand
You say he's a liar and he put out your fire
How come you still got his gun in your hand?
--Eagles

Victim mentality and victimhood culture go hand in hand with markets for victimhood. On one side of the market are the sellers--people who want to trade their position as a victim or perceived victim for something of value.

Victims might value material wealth, as in the case of an accident victim suing for damages. In other cases, victims might welcome psychic income from people who sympathize with their victimhood. Victims might also gain social status if the culture tends to worship or otherwise elevate victimhood.

On the other side of the market are the buyers--those who seek to benefit from the victimhood of others. Overt examples are ambulance chasing attorneys who take on victimized clients under the auspices of obtaining a slice of a legal settlement.

More subtle are charitable people who wish to help others perceived as victimized. In exchange for their assistance, charitable people gain psychic income from the satisfaction of helping others. If they believe in God, charitable people might also gain a spiritual sense that they have strengthened their case for progressing to the afterlife.

Increasingly active on the buy side of victimhood markets are political factions. These groups seek to leverage the victimhood of others to gain political capital that will help them advance their agendas. By acquiring elements of victimhood and the emotional capture that comes with it, political factions calculate that they will gain votes or similar assets that they can ultimately convert into control of the strong arm of government.

When political factions are involved, victimhood markets are a means for gaining power and authority over others.