It’s fair to say that at some point, we’ve all been victims. I think it’s also fair to say that we’ve all felt like a victim—whether a victim of circumstance, the patriarchy, the system, or someone else’s actions.

When I first revisited this rule, my knee-jerk reaction was to internalize it and start hastily crafting my defenses. I heard myself say, “Well, Daniel, you’re not a victim. You don’t make yourself a victim. You’re a survivor, a fighter, and resilient. You’re all these things you’ve said about yourself and heard others say about you.”

But instead of leaning into that deceptive comfort, I did what the teacher in me would advise my scholars to do:

1. Grab the dictionary and define the word.

2. Read it a few times to fully understand it.

3. Process it with clarity and intention.