Dunphy has an article today on National Review about the attraction of victimhood, something he seems to find rather mysterious. When I was studying martial arts, the school would often discuss the philosophy which underlies the art. The aspect I find relevant to the article, and most often relevant to life, was a division of the possible responses to reality into action mind and victim mind. Action mind is a stance toward reality in which one considers what one will to with the situation, and is more useful in dealing with life. Why then would anyone choose (yes, choose) to lament and bewail one's lot in life? The answer, as has been made clear to me through some experience in victim mind, is that it removes any responsibility to act. One is a victim; there is no hope for one to save oneself, as one is simply tossed on the waves of Chaos and old night. Victim mind leads to fear, and often anger. The energy that one might use to reason and act is taken up instead by these emotions.

Often people in victim mind will say things like, "But don't I have a right to be angry?" I certainly cannot stop you, so I suppose you might consider that a right. But the question to ask is not can I? but shouldI? Anger and fear and useless snivelling may be a right, inalienable unto death, but we may choose not to exercise that right.

Anger is often cited as powerful, in various self-defense seminars I've attended. "Get angry!" the instructor will tell her or his audience. "Don't just freeze!" This is misleading. Anger is a result of victim mind. While an angry person may have a greater chance of fighting off his or her attacker (a blind rage can get lucky, just like a blind pig finds an acorn), and anger is certainly better than a hopeless acceptance of one's fate, both are inferior to rational thought and action. I find that anger is the resort of a person who does not feel powerful (in my experience, I got and get angry when I feel that I cannot deal with a situation--it is the Universe's fault anyway, and how can I be expected to deal with all this?). Before one can be truly effective in a self-defense situation, one has to believe that one is worth saving. Self-defense need not be seen as an animal instinct. It is a rational response. A self-defense situation is not one in which one excuses oneself briefly from humanity and becomes an animal. Self-defense need not be excused.

An attempt to excuse an act of self-defense is itself a form of victim mind. One is the victim of the attack; it forced one to become a beast, a horror, to go baresark. Nonsense. Passive resistance is an option. Death is an option. If one chooses to defend oneself with all available resources one can and should do so rationally, and be prepared to justify it. One has acted, not been acted upon, and any attempt to deny that is to attempt to deny responsibility. But if one truly believes in self-worth, one can do so confidently.

This all seems such a simple concept, that I wonder that many people do not accept it. But the lure of the utter passivity of victim mind is great.



All of which is to say that we must attack Iraq.
UPDATE: An excellent example of action mind may be found in Buffy, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.