Ayishat Akanbi: the problem with victimhood
“Victimhood is almost a philosophy within in itself, it’s a way of perceiving the world and comes with its own form of entitlement. And the funny thing is, the word “narcissism” gets a lot of flack on the Internet, a lot of people talk about being victims of narcissistic abuse, but part of narcissism is victimhood.”
“Because a lot of ideas come from an axe that you have against the world, a gripe that you have, that can be quite confronting. We live in a world where everybody wants to be emotionally safe constantly, all the time. These two things don’t marry well, being honest with yourself and being emotionally safe. So that’s why I think we live in a state where people can’t really be honest about where a lot of their ideas are coming from.”
“We sort of glamourize anger and rage, which is blinding. Anger can spark ideas and creativity, but it can’t be a final resting place. It’s seductive to think everything is the fault of everyone else, it’s addictive, because it’s comfortable. Built into the ideology of victimhood is innocence. If you’re a victim and you’re innocent, if you’re a victim and innately virtuous, then everyone else is the oppressor, and everybody else is the aggressor. It’s a state where people don’t ever have to look at themselves. And as you may know, looking at yourself is hard.”
“I guess its easier to want to change the world than to look at yourself.”
The wise woman in this video is Ayishat Akanbi. She is a fashion stylist, writer, cultural commentator and artist based in London and a true relief, an oasis in the desert of Wokeness, which turns more and more into a blend of the French Revolution and the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Akanbi stands for compassion, a readiness to forgive others and yourself, an effort to try and understand the other, a willingness to change your own views.
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