Victimist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual characterized by a perspective that emphasizes external factors as the cause of their misfortunes rather than acknowledging personal accountability
2. Someone who consistently views life's difficulties as stemming from outside influences, thereby embracing a victim mentality rather than seeking personal growth
3. A person who persistently interprets challenges in life as results of external circumstances, neglecting the importance of self-responsibility in their experiences

Etymology: "Victimist" is built from two parts. The first is "victim," which comes from Latin "victima," a sacrificial animal offered to a god. The second is the suffix "-ist," which marks someone who practises or adheres to something, as in "artist" or "dentist." Put together, the word describes a person who adopts the role of a victim as a settled outlook. The sacrificial origin of "victim" is the key to the word's sense. A victim was once a creature offered up in ritual, with no say in its fate. When the term shifted to mean a person harmed by others or by circumstance, it carried that sense of helplessness with it. "Victimist" takes this passive position and turns it into a habit of mind, a way of explaining one's experiences by pointing outward.