You can’t live on this planet very long without becoming a victim of someone’s abuse. It’s inevitable. The danger comes when you begin to play the victim.
Playing the victim allows you to gain sympathy. Poor you—you went through this or that. People feel sorry for you. You tell them your woes and your hurts, and you begin to feed off their sympathy.
What you may not see is that playing the victim makes you powerless. When you identify only as a victim, you give up your ability to take responsibility. Yet even a victim has a responsibility: the ability to respond. How you respond is a choice, and you are responsible for that choice.
It is those who take responsibility for their lives, even when they have been hurt or harmed by others, who have the power to change. You may not be able to stop others from hurting you, but you can learn to respond with wisdom and compassion. That is where your power lies. Do not exchange it for a pity party.