THE CULT OF VICTIMHOOD
It’s Time to End it
How it Started
As a child in the ‘60’s, I remember that the heroes of the day were soldiers, policemen, firemen and the like. Even some politicians achieved hero status for standing up for what is right and serving the Constitution and the country. And then, something odd happened. I started noticing children’s parties where siblings got a gift for every one the birthday child opened. Awards for top performance in sports and school were replaced with awards for participation. We had begun to replace the goal of equality with a goal of equity. The difference is striking. The former refers to being treated fairly under the law and having access to opportunities. The latter means equality of outcome, no matter the effort or talent involved.
Having worked with people with disabilities, including quadriplegia, I saw heroes everywhere—those who pushed past limitations to achieve success on their terms. Interestingly, these are the kind of people who don’t want others to create “nicer” labels for them, such as sight-limited for blind. They own the challenge and transcend it. I learned a lot from the people I met and volunteered to serve.
Today’s “Heroes”
As we watch people dismiss the values that lead to personal success in favor of venerating those who have made bad choices in life, the result is obvious. Many young people begin to see these people as their idols and try to emulate their choices. They believe competition is evil and destructive, failing to understand that competition is inherent in the way things work. To do away with it disempowers those who strive to create, to innovate, to invent. If it is culturally wrong to do better than a peer, you never get that feeling of triumph at beating your personal best, at creating something new. The rest of us are deprived of the results of that creativity.
Competition implies failure is possible, which is inevitable. But failure is merely a springboard to the next success. Most entrepreneurs have failed numerous times and always rallied. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison had numerous speed bumps along the way and yet, both have given us so many gifts. We may never be as wealthy as Steve Jobs, but would anyone want him to just do the minimum? Would you really want to give up your iPhone?
Instead, the news media and politicians aim to make heroes of Moms for Housing and the BLM rioters, while they scoff at people creating, designing and imagining. We’ve made Anthony Fauci a hero while he has continually lied to us, resulting in how many deaths and disabilities resulting from the CCP virus.
Why it Matters
When the wrong values underlie your philosophy—that you deserve handouts and shouldn’t strive to improve yourself and be responsible—not only are you a drain on the public who is working. You’ve also destroyed your own happiness. The momentary joy of buying things with other people’s money pales in comparison to the joy of a life well lived where you have created meaning and value, been a contributor and a responsible adult.
The definition of success varies for each of us based on individual values, but success does not mean infantilizing yourself by living on government handouts (or in your parents’ basement forever), having children you can’t afford and avoiding honest work.
By celebrating these bad choices and diminishing the value of those who contribute, we encourage more people to take the “easy road” of dependence, which diminishes the spirit and destroys the economy. As Margaret Thatcher famously said, “After a while, you run out of other people’s money.”
Let’s go back to recognizing real value. Celebrate all the health care professionals who went above and beyond this past year. Applaud the journalists who struggled to bring the story of Covid origins. Congratulate the graduates who completed the tough majors and are moving into adult jobs. Look for the real heroes who aren’t asking what you can do for them, but who are looking to contribute.
