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donnie_darko
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03 Jul 2015, 3:52 pm

Is it just me or do Americans strongly believe in karma and just-worldism? Someone on Reddit said that Americans are no more advanced than Indians were several thousand years ago, because we hold people entirely responsible for all of their misfortunes.

Are you homeless or poor? You must be lazy, the American belief is, since we live in a free country where anyone can make it if they work hard enough. Even though all of the evidence suggests otherwise and that most other so-called developed countries have more socioeconomic mobility than the USA.

Same with anything. Don't have any friends, or are being bullied? It's always YOUR fault in the eyes of most Americans, because apparently if you are treated badly it must be due to some kind of bad attitude you are carrying around. It can't EVER be the other person's fault, or the fault of a sick society.



Spiderpig
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03 Jul 2015, 4:43 pm

Survival of the fittest. Noöne would be the victim of any kind of misfortune if only they were strong enough to overcome it. Therefore, it's their fault for being too weak.

This is the law of the jungle. There's no virtue but toughness and no sin but weakness. And it's not exactly possible to escape it, with or without human laws, as everything builds on it.


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zer0netgain
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03 Jul 2015, 6:09 pm

While not true 100% of the time, a person who suffers misfortune often plays a part in why it happened in the first place. In legal terms, it's called "comparative negligence."

There is wisdom in holding a person accountable to the degree to which they are responsible for the mess they are in.



RushKing
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03 Jul 2015, 6:19 pm



Campin_Cat
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03 Jul 2015, 6:50 pm

While I ALSO believe that that is NOT the case, 100 percent of the time----I, TOO, also believe that sometimes, a person must examine what role THEY may have played in ANY situation, that went awry, and take responsibility, for that----or else, IMO, they're just doomed to repeat it.










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ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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03 Jul 2015, 7:04 pm

If someone is behaving a certain way that impedes or imposes upon others in any unreasonable way, it behooves them to address that behavior "repent" if you will, by not doing it again and changing an attitude, also, if that is necessary. It is not a matter of blaming anyone but the one engaging in the behavior. If you are bullying others, stop doing it. If you are stealing, stop doing it. If you are procrastinating, stop doing it. Breaking the law? Stop doing it and the list goes on and on.



Zajie
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03 Jul 2015, 9:56 pm

Well I was always taught to defend myself and not wait for someone to come to save me from any kind of situation, I think that was good actually because without that I think I'd be someone who's afraid and shy, I'd keep relaying on others for help on the slightest things, an emotionally needy person too- nothing is wrong with that but it distracts you sometimes from studies/work.
Some people also blame the victim to push the victim in becoming stronger.



ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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03 Jul 2015, 10:04 pm

Offering advice on how to handle situations is not victim blaming.



Zajie
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03 Jul 2015, 10:20 pm

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
Offering advice on how to handle situations is not victim blaming.

They don't directly advice, they go on like 'that happened to you because you didn't do anything about it' - well now maybe this can sound like an advice but also like blaming so now I'm starting to think even if blaming isn't exactly the same as advice but it's something which makes you think about the reasons of the causes. Well I'm not saying we should blame people, it's better to advice nicely and support the person if you can.



ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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03 Jul 2015, 10:33 pm

Zajie wrote:
ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
Offering advice on how to handle situations is not victim blaming.

They don't directly advice, they go on like 'that happened to you because you didn't do anything about it' - well now maybe this can sound like an advice but also like blaming so now I'm starting to think even if blaming isn't exactly the same as advice but it's something which makes you think about the reasons of the causes. Well I'm not saying we should blame people, it's better to advice nicely and support the person if you can.


What these people probably need is direct advice that explains how to handle a situation. Saying this or that happened because you didn't do anything is a bit vague because if they knew what to do, they would have done it. They basically lack training. It's not victim blaming to give them the info they need. It's helping them but you have to give them clear directions. I know it's frustrating when people said, "it happened because you didn't do anything about it." I never knew what to do. If I did, I would have been fine, lol. I always liked having a set of guidelines for every situation even though that might not be possible. It's what I wished I had.



Zajie
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03 Jul 2015, 10:38 pm

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
Zajie wrote:
ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
Offering advice on how to handle situations is not victim blaming.

They don't directly advice, they go on like 'that happened to you because you didn't do anything about it' - well now maybe this can sound like an advice but also like blaming so now I'm starting to think even if blaming isn't exactly the same as advice but it's something which makes you think about the reasons of the causes. Well I'm not saying we should blame people, it's better to advice nicely and support the person if you can.


What these people probably need is direct advice that explains how to handle a situation. Saying this or that happened because you didn't do anything is a bit vague because if they knew what to do, they would have done it. They basically lack training. It's not victim blaming to give them the info they need. It's helping them but you have to give them clear directions. I know it's frustrating when people said, "it happened because you didn't do anything about it." I never knew what to do. If I did, I would have been fine, lol. I always liked having a set of guidelines for every situation even though that might not be possible. It's what I wished I had.

I agree with you. I also had that thing of wanting someone to tell me what to do because I couldn't think of anything to help myself lol.



Fnord
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03 Jul 2015, 11:15 pm

donnie_darko wrote:
Is it just me or do Americans strongly believe in karma and just-worldism?

[...]
It's just you.

People all over the world seem to have the same "blame and shame the victims" mentality.

Besides, the concept of "Karma" did not originate in the United States of America. With origins in ancient India, it is a key concept in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Taoism.



RightGalaxy
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12 Oct 2017, 7:47 am

In the U.S., you are guaranteed to have "hugh" success if you work hard provided that you are the right color, the right ethnicity, know who's ass to kiss, and are able to take it up the A** as well. Narcissistic and sociopathic traits help as well. My family worked their tail off - we're still middle-class. BUT WE'RE HAPPY. I've worked my whole life as an R.N. waiting for advancement in my particular field only to see those who were less competent and less experienced get promotions because of "who they know" not because of competency or experience but by pure nepotism and their ability for non-stop yacky-yack but no work. They don't do work. I've learned to be happy with being able to put food on the table, have nice cloths, fairly good car, and have an old but renovated house. That's enough for most people. It should be. That what you get when you work hard. As far as moving up the career ladder - that's a different world all together. Just read the first line of what I wrote again. That world is clearly not for aspies. It would just do us harm. That world belongs to the NT's.



RightGalaxy
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12 Oct 2017, 7:59 am

Fnord wrote:
donnie_darko wrote:
Is it just me or do Americans strongly believe in karma and just-worldism?

[...]
It's just you.

People all over the world seem to have the same "blame and shame the victims" mentality.

Besides, the concept of "Karma" did not originate in the United States of America. With origins in ancient India, it is a key concept in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Taoism.



Because the thing at work here is a lack of humanity. The blaming and shaming of victims stems from a lack of conscience. The blame and shame game is the #1 tool sociopaths use to control others. People who are born without conscience(sociopaths) CANNOT acquire it. They are hard-wired to be that way. People like this are able to move up career/social/political ladders VERY quickly. If you get enough of them, laws get made. Laws that take away our human rights. Imagine it. If you had no conscience, and you had a goal to reach that required stepping on an infant's skull, you'd do it. That's what the guilt-free do. If nothing can stop you, you will go straight to the top. Think about it: what if you loved money, yet had no conscience. If I had no conscience, I could have a car and handbag full of money just by ambushing my elderly neighbor on check day. It's horrid isn't it. People without a conscience do this all the same. If they have a tiny bit of remorse, they can deaden it by using drugs. So, they have about 1/4 remorse and 3/4 don't give damn. Majority rules.



ASPartOfMe
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12 Oct 2017, 8:05 am

America is an extroverted, Type A personality culture and if you are not like that often people suspect something is wrong with you.


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RightGalaxy
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12 Oct 2017, 8:10 am

ALL MY FELLOW ASPIES!! !! PAY ATTENTION!! The ugly reality of life is that success depends on social standing and social connections. We all have ideals and think that dirty dealings are beneath us. They are not. The rich get richer and the firmly connected get promoted.