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| Science & Technology |
| The Evolutionary Advantages of Playing Victim |
| 2021-03-02 |
| h/t HotAir [Quillette] - Victimhood is defined in negative terms: "the condition of having been hurt, damaged, or made to suffer." Yet humans have evolved to empathize with the suffering of others, and to provide assistance so as to eliminate or compensate for that suffering. Consequently, signaling suffering to others can be an effective strategy for attaining resources. Victims may receive attention, sympathy, and social status, as well as financial support and other benefits. And being a victim can generate certain kinds of power: It can justify the seeking of retribution, provide a sense of legitimacy or psychological standing to speak on certain issues, and may even confer moral impunity by minimizing blame for victims’ own wrongdoings. Presumably, most victims would eagerly forego such benefits if they were able to free themselves of their plight. But when victimhood yields benefits, it incentivizes people to signal their victimhood to others or to exaggerate or even fake victimhood entirely. This is especially true in contexts that involve alleged psychic harms, and where appeals are made to third-parties, with the claimed damage often being invisible, unverifiable, and based exclusively on self-reports. Such circumstances allow unscrupulous people to take advantage of the kindness and sympathy of others by co-opting victim status for personal gain. And so, people do. Newly published research indicates that people who more frequently signal their victimhood (whether real, exaggerated, or false) are more likely to lie and cheat for material gain and denigrate others as a means to get ahead. Victimhood signaling is associated with numerous morally undesirable personality traits, such as narcissism, Machiavellianism (willingness to manipulate and exploit others for self-benefit), a sense of entitlement, and lower honesty and humility. IMO, we live in society wherein lack of shame is the primary criteria for success. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |
| #17 I can just imagine that mastodon wiping out Golden Corral buffets on a regular basis. I wonder if she's ever considered professional wrestling as a career. Definitely would need a mask though. |
| Posted by: Clem 2021-03-02 22:09 |
| #16 ^ Huh. You must've left early. [pats tummy, belches] |
| Posted by: Dr. Stacey Abrams1987 2021-03-02 21:54 |
| #15 By the bank, even. Also, dotty parker, dammit. Preview... why do I hate it? |
| Posted by: Whing Angomogum1987 2021-03-02 21:45 |
| #14 Ms. Abrams is quite a debater... Well, was. I'll elaborate later. As she spoke on the bank Of her victimhood, Tank Brought to tears the poor gator that ate her! |
| Posted by: Whing Angomogum1987 2021-03-02 21:38 |
| #13 "I gave birth to a movement. Clogged the 12" sewer. The man be always discriminating to ...uh.." |
| Posted by: Frank G 2021-03-02 20:19 |
| #12 Like, you look to be in your last trimester, So Stacey, When are you due ? |
| Posted by: Completed Sparing1264 2021-03-02 19:20 |
| #11 And if that doesn't kick your diet-motivation gear into turbo... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2021-03-02 18:28 |
| #10 The Playbook of This Critter |
| Posted by: Promoted Brown8214 2021-03-02 13:44 |
| #9 Also notice many wild critters deliberately fake woundedness to distract or manipulate would-be predators. Evolution has taken worked for them. |
| Posted by: Knuckles Fluper5134 2021-03-02 11:40 |
| #8 Have also notice a underlying aggressive demeanor being applied to whatever. I call this "unconscious (or barely concealed) malevolence". This became an item for me when I learned the last words most dog bit victims hear is "He won't bite you" - coming from the dog's owner(s). Then the bite happens. One of my best friends was a former city utility worker / mete reader / etc. He was bitten about 7 times during his long career, and heard that over and over again from the owners / enablers. |
| Posted by: Knuckles Fluper5134 2021-03-02 11:38 |
| #7 Ref #6: U mean like WOKE-rushing to assist the customer of color while permitting the aging white customer to remain waiting with his thumb in his arse ? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2021-03-02 08:04 |
| #6 Have been noticing what appears to be a number of Race solely based hires and promotions in area National Retailers. Which are doing the now "popular" WOKE / Race insurance. Have also notice a underlying aggressive demeanor being applied to white customers. Remember Discrimination goes both ways. No 1 Race or Color owns it. |
| Posted by: NN2N1 2021-03-02 07:48 |
| #5 /\ ....more concerned with perceived victimhood than demonstrable accomplishments Devoid of self-worth or accomplishment? Resume naval gazing phase. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2021-03-02 07:19 |
| #4 the culture has entered its navel gazing phase, more concerned with perceived victimhood than demonstrable accomplishments |
| Posted by: Bob Grorong1136 2021-03-02 07:14 |
| #3 Anybody read that book from, like, 1960, on cybernetics? |
| Posted by: Clem 2021-03-02 06:51 |
| #2 ^We don't know that it's genetic - except to the extent that "behavior which is rewarded is reinforced" that has a genetic component. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2021-03-02 05:57 |
#1  A genetic link to behavior? What a provocative theory. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2021-03-02 05:10 |