Archetype - THE VICTIM

The Victim - MARCH 2, 2021

Don't be misled by the name of this archetype. When properly recognized, the Victim can alert you to the possibility that you are about to let yourself be victimized, whether through passivity or inappropriate actions. It can also help you recognize your own tendency to victimize others for personal gain. We need to develop this clarity of insight, however, and that means learning the nature and intensity of the Victim within.

In its shadow manifestation, the Victim tells you that you are always taken advantage of and it's never your fault. We may like to play the Victim at times because of the positive feedback we get in the form of sympathy or pity. Our goal is always to learn how to recognize these inappropriate attitudes in ourselves or others, and to act accordingly. We are not meant to be victimized in life, but to learn how to handle challenges and outrun our fears.

In establishing contact with your own inner Victim, ask yourself:

Do I blame others for the circumstances of my life?

Do I spend time in the pit of self-pity?

Do I envy others who always seem to get what they want out of life?

Do I feel victimized by others when situations don't work out the way

I wanted them to?

Do I tend to feel more powerless than powerful?