--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the past, I was a perpetual victim…" description: "\"In the past, I was a perpetual victim; how I was doing in any given moment depended on what happened to me. Today I do my best to avoid this kind of 'v..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/jenni-schaefer-22271_determined_in-the-past-i-was-a-perpetual-victim-how_273643.jpg" --- # In the past, I was a perpetual victim; how I was doing in… ![“In the past, I was a perpetual victim; how I was doing in any given moment depended on what happened to me. Today I do my best to avoid this kind of 'victim thinking.' Instead, how I am doing is determined by how I respond to what happens to me.” quote by Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/jenni-schaefer-22271_determined_in-the-past-i-was-a-perpetual-victim-how_273643.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/jenni-schaefer-22271_determined_in-the-past-i-was-a-perpetual-victim-how_273643.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/jenni-schaefer-22271_determined_in-the-past-i-was-a-perpetual-victim-how_273643.jpg) > “In the past, I was a perpetual victim; how I was doing in any given moment depended on what happened to me. Today I do my best to avoid this kind of 'victim thinking.' Instead, how I am doing is determined by how I respond to what happens to me.” [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shift from seeing oneself as a victim to focusing on responses transforms personal agency and outcomes. **In simple terms:** Focus on response, not victimhood. Key Takeaway Choose response over victim mindset. Themes agency mindset responsibility growth empowerment Mood motivational empowering Type advice self‑help When to use this quote - career challenges - personal setbacks - health crises - relationship conflicts Key Concepts psychology self‑help behavioral science Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your victim thinking? - How can you practice response thinking daily? A Different Perspective Changing mindset can be difficult when external circumstances are harsh. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Determined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Positive thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-thinking/) [Recovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recovery/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) ## Related quotes > [The past is perpetual youth to the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-elizabeth-landon/the-past-is-perpetual-youth-to-the-heart/) [Letitia Elizabeth Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-elizabeth-landon/) > [“There is a belief advanced today, and in some cases by conservative black authors, that poor children and particularly black children should not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/there-is-a-belief-advanced-today-and-in-some-cases-by-conservative/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Blame and victim thinking are so ingrained into the fabric of our society it's hard to find a role model anywhere who simply practices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-g-miller/blame-and-victim-thinking-are-so-ingrained-into-the-fabric-of-our/) [John G. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-g-miller/) > [Oliver Darcy is a perpetual victim. He is constantly advocating for people to be banned and silenced. As a member of the media, Oliver…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-loomer/oliver-darcy-is-a-perpetual-victim-he-is-constantly-advocating-for/) [Laura Loomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-loomer/) > [“Poor JZ is the perpetual victim. In the case of Nkandla, he was the victim of a 'supply-chain' fiasco; something he knew nothing about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-pauw/poor-jz-is-the-perpetual-victim-in-the-case-of-nkandla-he-was-the/) [Jacques Pauw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-pauw/) > [“Ana was a perpetual victim in a never-ending search for a victimizer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-luedke/ana-was-a-perpetual-victim-in-a-never-ending-search-for-a-victimizer/) [Travis Luedke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-luedke/) > [Connect with supportive people who empower you. The more you jump into your life, the further away from Ed you can get. Don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/connect-with-supportive-people-who-empower-you-the-more-you-jump-into/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“Real hope combined with real action has always pulled me through difficult times. Real hope combined with doing nothing has never pulled me through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/real-hope-combined-with-real-action-has-always-pulled-me-through-2/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [Recovery is about making room for the real me to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/recovery-is-about-making-room-for-the-real-me-to-exist/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“When we feel like giving up, like we are beyond help, we must remember that we are never beyond hope. Holding on to hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/when-we-feel-like-giving-up-like-we-are-beyond-help-we-must-remember/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“Why couldn’t I find one action that would make the need to binge automatically disappear? Because there is no magic action to make that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/why-couldn-t-i-find-one-action-that-would-make-the-need-to-binge/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [Oftentimes, especially during my recovery, I didn't need to think about everything I was doing wrong; instead, I needed to focus more on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/oftentimes-especially-during-my-recovery-i-didn-t-need-to-think-about/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [The things of the world are ever rising and falling, and in perpetual change; and this change must be according to the will of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/the-things-of-the-world-are-ever-rising-and-falling-and-in-perpetual/) [Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) ## More by Jenni Schaefer > [Real hope combined with real action has always pulled me through difficult times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/real-hope-combined-with-real-action-has-always-pulled-me-through/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [Oftentimes, especially during my recovery, I didn't need to think about everything I was doing wrong; instead, I needed to focus more on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/oftentimes-especially-during-my-recovery-i-didn-t-need-to-think-about/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“Why couldn’t I find one action that would make the need to binge automatically disappear? Because there is no magic action to make that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/why-couldn-t-i-find-one-action-that-would-make-the-need-to-binge/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“When we feel like giving up, like we are beyond help, we must remember that we are never beyond hope. Holding on to hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/when-we-feel-like-giving-up-like-we-are-beyond-help-we-must-remember/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [Recovery is about making room for the real me to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/recovery-is-about-making-room-for-the-real-me-to-exist/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“Real hope combined with real action has always pulled me through difficult times. Real hope combined with doing nothing has never pulled me through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/real-hope-combined-with-real-action-has-always-pulled-me-through-2/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [Connect with supportive people who empower you. The more you jump into your life, the further away from Ed you can get. Don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/connect-with-supportive-people-who-empower-you-the-more-you-jump-into/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“In the past, my brain could only compute perfection or failure—nothing in between. So words like competent, acceptable, satisfactory, and good enough fell into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/in-the-past-my-brain-could-only-compute-perfection-or-failure-nothing/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“anxiety becomes high energy when taken to the light. For me, it worked like this: I used to live in a constant state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/anxiety-becomes-high-energy-when-taken-to-the-light-for-me-it-worked/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [I would not encourage you to go through the sweat, blood, and tears of the recovery process only to reach some kind of mediocre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/i-would-not-encourage-you-to-go-through-the-sweat-blood-and-tears-of/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“I wrote in my journal about how good I felt when I was not living under Ed’s control. Then, when I really felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/i-wrote-in-my-journal-about-how-good-i-felt-when-i-was-not-living/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“During the worst stages of my eating disorder, I was all-or-none with food—either bingeing or not eating. Much of my experience was, in fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/during-the-worst-stages-of-my-eating-disorder-i-was-all-or-none-with/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [Replace perfectionism with persistence. After all, in recovery and life, it's persistence that really pays off. Forget about perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/replace-perfectionism-with-persistence-after-all-in-recovery-and-life/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“When you feel like you would rather die than live another day with an eating disorder, know that I used to feel that way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/when-you-feel-like-you-would-rather-die-than-live-another-day-with-an/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) > [“Holding myself to perfectionistic standards, I used to think I had to become lifelong friends with everyone who entered my life. This was exhausting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-schaefer/holding-myself-to-perfectionistic-standards-i-used-to-think-i-had-to/) [Jenni Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) [Explore all 27 Jenni Schaefer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-schaefer/) ## More Determined quotes > [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-not-willing-to-learn-no-one-can-help-you-if-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ignorance is not bliss — it is oblivion. Determined ignorance is the hastiest kind of oblivion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-wylie/ignorance-is-not-bliss-it-is-oblivion-determined-ignorance-is-the/) [Philip Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-wylie/) > [I was determined to be an actor and make a name in the industry, and hence, I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawazuddin-siddiqui/i-was-determined-to-be-an-actor-and-make-a-name-in-the-industry-and/) [Nawazuddin Siddiqui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawazuddin-siddiqui/) > [Always remember, there is more strength in you than you ever realized or even imagined. Certainly nothing can keep you down if you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/always-remember-there-is-more-strength-in-you-than-you-ever-realized/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [Early experience shapes the structure and function of the brain. This reveals the fundamental way in which gene expression is determined by experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-siegel/early-experience-shapes-the-structure-and-function-of-the-brain-this/) [Daniel J. Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-siegel/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) J. Willard Gibbs > [The more we sense...our ultimate potential, the more determined we become to achieve it. It's the difference between your mother hounding you to practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-l-dew/the-more-we-sense-our-ultimate-potential-the-more-determined-we/) [Sheri L. Dew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-l-dew/) > [How could a readiness for war in time of peace be safely prohibited, unless we could prohibit, in like manner, the preparations and establishments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/how-could-a-readiness-for-war-in-time-of-peace-be-safely-prohibited/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Further conceive, I beg, that a stone, while continuing in motion, should be capable of thinking and knowing, that it is endeavoring, as far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/further-conceive-i-beg-that-a-stone-while-continuing-in-motion-should/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Your success will be determined by the quality of your relationships with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/your-success-will-be-determined-by-the-quality-of-your-relationships/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [I've always been competitive and determined. It's part of my personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/i-ve-always-been-competitive-and-determined-it-s-part-of-my/) [Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/) > [We are determined that before the sun sets on this terrible struggle, Our Flag will be recognized throughout the World as a symbol of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-marshall/we-are-determined-that-before-the-sun-sets-on-this-terrible-struggle/) [George C. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) > [I am still determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-washington/i-am-still-determined-to-be-cheerful-and-happy-in-whatever-situation/) [Martha Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-washington/) [Browse all 2,245 Determined quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the past, I was a perpetual victim; how I was doing in any given moment depended on what happened to me. Today I do my best to avoid this kind of 'victim thinking.' 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