--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a victim. I'm not a survivor. I'm…" description: "\"“I'm not a victim. I'm not a survivor. I'm a fighter.”\" — J.E. Mathewson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/042/j-e-mathewson-244522_abuse_i-m-not-a-victim-i-m-not-a-survivor-i-m_103533.jpg" --- # I'm not a victim. I'm not a survivor. I'm a fighter. ![“I'm not a victim. I'm not a survivor. I'm a fighter.” quote by J.E. Mathewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/042/j-e-mathewson-244522_abuse_i-m-not-a-victim-i-m-not-a-survivor-i-m_103533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/042/j-e-mathewson-244522_abuse_i-m-not-a-victim-i-m-not-a-survivor-i-m_103533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/042/j-e-mathewson-244522_abuse_i-m-not-a-victim-i-m-not-a-survivor-i-m_103533.jpg) > ““I'm not a victim. I'm not a survivor. I'm a fighter.”” [J.E. Mathewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-e-mathewson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reject victimhood, embrace fighting spirit for empowerment. **In simple terms:** Refuse victim role, become fighter. Key Takeaway Adopt resilient mindset. Themes resilience empowerment identity Mood empowering defiant Type abuse:1 fighter:1 inspirational:1 self help:1 survivor:0 victim:0 victim survivor:0 survivor fighter:0 When to use this quote - overcoming trauma - advocacy - self‑defense Key Concepts personal growth mental health social activism Questions to Reflect On - What does being a fighter mean to you? - How do you support others in similar journeys? A Different Perspective Self‑identification may be complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Fighter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighter/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Self help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-help/) [Survivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survivor/) [Survivor Fighter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survivor-fighter-1248760/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) [Victim Survivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim-survivor-823112/) ## Related quotes > [“It took me a long time, but I prefer “victim” to “survivor” now. I don’t want to diminish the gravity of what happened. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/it-took-me-a-long-time-but-i-prefer-victim-to-survivor-now-i-don-t/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [The last thing I want to be known as is 'The Girl Who Got Raped'. The big turn around you make in your head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/the-last-thing-i-want-to-be-known-as-is-the-girl-who-got-raped-the/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [I'm a survivor. But I'm also victim, too. Surviving has the connotation that you've been through it, you lived through it and that's wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-m-a-survivor-but-i-m-also-victim-too-surviving-has-the-connotation/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I'm not a victim - I'm a survivor of hunger, of hate, of different injustices that humans are facing today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clemantine-wamariya/i-m-not-a-victim-i-m-a-survivor-of-hunger-of-hate-of-different/) [Clemantine Wamariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clemantine-wamariya/) > [ \[The kidnapping\] happened 14 years ago, and I didn't talk about it for ten years because I was too embarrassed. I was too scared.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-farrell/the-kidnapping-happened-14-years-ago-and-i-didn-t-talk-about-it-for/) [Frida Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-farrell/) > [“Sometimes we wore such hurtful, limiting labels in this life, whether they'd been assigned by others or by ourselves. I'd felt damaged and ruined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-sheridan/sometimes-we-wore-such-hurtful-limiting-labels-in-this-life-whether/) [Mia Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-sheridan/) > [The difference between being a victim and a survivor is often a low level of situational awareness. You can't be a super-spy, watchful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/the-difference-between-being-a-victim-and-a-survivor-is-often-a-low/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“We wrap our arms around each other and we cry. We cry mother to daughter. We cry aunt to niece. We cry victim to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/we-wrap-our-arms-around-each-other-and-we-cry-we-cry-mother-to/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [“How could we have achieved the set-goal, without endurance to the end?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/how-could-we-have-achieved-the-set-goal-without-endurance-to-the-end/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“They illustrate that since no one really loves or cares for them, why should they love or care for themselves?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/they-illustrate-that-since-no-one-really-loves-or-cares-for-them-why/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [“Being survivors signifies that we have recognized that we have been through a lot that should never have taken place and we now hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/being-survivors-signifies-that-we-have-recognized-that-we-have-been/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [“Abuse ambushed my life, I could not love myself truly and could never have a healthy relationship, they were either abused or completely impaired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/abuse-ambushed-my-life-i-could-not-love-myself-truly-and-could-never/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [“The way in which the child is manipulated pulls them into considering the lies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-way-in-which-the-child-is-manipulated-pulls-them-into-considering/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Sometimes, Ms. Lane," he said, "one must break with one's past to embrace one's future. It is never an easy thing to do. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sometimes-ms-lane-he-said-one-must-break-with-one-s-past-to-embrace/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I'm not a victim. I'm not a survivor. I'm a fighter.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.E. 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