www.scientificamerican.com/article/unraveling-the-mindset-of-victimhood/ This is a long and interesting piece.
Characteristics of the victimhood mindset:
- Constantly seeking recognition of one’s victimhood
- A sense of moral elitism (black and white thinking/"splitting")
- Lack of empathy for the pain and suffering of others. People scoring high on this dimension are so preoccupied with their own victimhood that they are oblivious to the pain and suffering of others.
- Frequently ruminating about past victimization
The victimhood mindset can exist at individual or group level. A group that is completely preoccupied with its own suffering can develop what psychologists refer to as an “egoism of victimhood,” whereby members are unable to see things from the perspective of the rival group’s perspective, are unable or unwilling to empathize with the suffering of the rival group, and are unwilling to accept any responsibility for harm inflicted by their own group
I guess this applies even in situations where the "rival group" never knew themselves to be or thought of themselves as rivals - it's an entirely solipsistic worldview and the true thoughts or feelings of members of the "rival group" don't enter into it.
The problem is of course that accusations of "playing the victim" are often used to undermine and delegitimise genuine issues and real injustices, at both collective and individual level. But the analysis in the article is interesting and it's pointing at something very real IMO.