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Do you know a person who might always be suffering? Do you know some people who might be sacrificing things just to feel good? While it might look like a commendable trait but experts have recognized it as a psychological concern. The behaviour has been called martyr complex where a person might just as a martyr might sacrifice things deliberately despite the unhappiness and pain their loss might bring to them.
People suffering from this complex might always be ready with a story that tells others about their latest woes or suffering. The complex might look familiar to victim mentality but the two behaviours have fine distinction.
On the surface, there might not be much difference between a person showing a martyr complex or a person having a victim mentality. A person with a victim mentality might feel that they have been victimized by a person or situation but martyrs might go a step ahead by actively looking for situations that can compel them to sacrifice for others. Hence, they are always resentful and unsatisfied with life. Unlike real-life martyrs, they might not sacrifice out of joy but out of obligation or guilt. This complex can make these people feel trapped as they are not able to say 'no' in situations and they might come in between their own happiness.
Much like a people-pleaser, martyrs too will sacrifice their own happiness and needs for the sake of others. Many times, this complex might develop in families where martyrdom is appreciated and hailed. It might come into families where the needs of others are acknowledged over a person's individual needs. The following are some signs-
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