ABSTRACT
The culture of victimology—with its emphasis on the so-called "benevolent state"—delivers an additional blow to dignity and self-worth. As with the political system, people today also are strongly encouraged to make demands on the legal system by claiming victim status. Indeed, the legal system has, in many ways, become a significant driving force behind the modern ideology of victimhood. Today, victims of discrimination, racism, poverty, sickness, and societal neglect abound in the popular press. Today, there are few heroes. Two things contributed to the change in the state of affairs. The first is that our political and legal systems now actively encourage people to claim victim status and to make demands on society for reparations and recompense. The second is that our culture actually seeks to denigrate or deconstruct heroes. Heroes demonstrated perseverance in the face of adversity and used hardship as a means to strive for greater virtue.
