The word martyr itself derives from the Greek for “witness”, originally applied to the apostles who had witnessed Christ’s life and resurrection. Later it was used to describe those who, arrested and on trial, admitted to being Christians.

According to early Christian tradition

• Polycarp of Smyrna.
• Justin Martyr.
• Scillitan Martyrs.
• Perpetua and Felicity.
• Ptolemaeus and Lucius.
• Pothinus, bishop of Lyon, with Blandina and several others, the “Martyrs of Lyon and Vienne”
• Pope Fabian.
• Saint Sebastian.

A religious person who refuses to deny his religion and is killed for it is an example of a martyr. A person who takes care of his aging parents but who makes sure everyone knows just how difficult it is is an example of a martyr.

The earliest definition of a martyr meant someone who had witnessed Jesus’s life. All of the modern martyrs spent their lives striving for a better world, but for some in particular, achieving this rested on total non-violence regardless of the might of their opposition.

In Christianity, a martyr is a person considered to have died because of their testimony for Jesus or faith in Jesus. In years of the early church, stories depict this often occurring through death by sawing, stoning, crucifixion, burning at the stake or other forms of torture and capital punishment.

As of 2019, Hindus are 99% “likely to live in countries where their groups experience harassment”, and as per this definition – in conjunction with the Jewish community – the most persecuted religious group in the world.

Why is it harmful? Martyr tendencies might not seem like a huge deal, but they can take a toll on your relationships, well-being, and personal growth.

Those who turn themselves into martyrs victimize themselves for the benefit of others. They constantly sacrifice resources against their own self-interest. A martyr takes on the role of the hero. ‌People who use martyr behavior tend to have good motives for doing so.

: to act like someone who deserves admiration or sympathy because of being badly treated.

People who suffer from the victim syndrome are always complaining about the ―bad things that happen‖ in their lives. Because they believe they have no control over the way events unfold, they don’t feel a sense of responsibility for them.

Past trauma To an outsider, someone with a victim mentality might seem overly dramatic. But this mindset often develops in response to true victimization. It can emerge as a method of coping with abuse or trauma. Facing one negative circumstance after another can make this outcome more likely.

Signs You Have a Victim Mentality

1. ‌You blame others for the way your life is.
2. ‌You truly think life is against you.
3. ‌You have trouble coping with problems in your life and feel powerless against them.
4. ‌You feel stuck in life and approach things with a negative attitude.

Victim blaming allows people to believe that such events could never happen to them. Blaming the victim is known to occur in rape and sexual assault cases, where the victim of the crime is often accused of inviting the attack due to her clothing or behavior.

False Victimization Syndromes of the victim as an insecure person who was repeatedly hospitalized for nervous breakdowns, which would occur when significant others in her life went away.

Why is it Dangerous? Victim-blaming attitudes marginalize the victim/survivor and make it harder to come forward and report the abuse. If the survivor knows that you or society blames her for the abuse, s/he will not feel safe or comfortable coming forward and talking to you.

Secondary victimisation occurs when the victim suffers further harm not as a direct result of the criminal act but due to the manner in which institutions and other individuals deal with the victim.

Roy Baumeister, a social and personality psychologist, argued that blaming the victim is not necessarily always fallacious. He argued that showing the victim’s possible role in an altercation may be contrary to typical explanations of violence and cruelty, which incorporate the trope of the innocent victim.