>What part of Marx's analysis of capitalism do you think caused people to adopt a victim mentality?
Not Marx's analysis of capitalism, but rather Marx's creed from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs. This became the slogan of the Marxist movement which rejected the prior socialist creed of to each according to their contribution.
If people's reward is independent of their contribution and instead a function of their needs then it incentivizes presenting oneself as the least capable, since those who do so are the ones for whom the least will be asked of. Adopting a victim mentality and presenting oneself as a victim of some kind is a fairly inexpensive way to maximize the receipt of ones needs while minimizing ones contribution.
> This became the slogan of the Marxist movement which rejected the prior socialist creed of to each according to their contribution.
So from my point of view, that slogan is a completely simplified description of what a communist society might look like. From what I know it was coined before Marx even wrote Kapital, which is the underlying basis of Marxism.
> If people's reward is independent of their contribution and instead a function of their needs then it incentivizes presenting oneself as the least capable
I can agree with that. However I think there are other interpretations of the phrase that might be more generous. In general, I think of a socialist mode of production as one in which production is for-use as opposed to for-profit/sale/exchange. Capitalists will say for-use/for-exchange are the same, socialists argue the two are distinct groups (with some obvious overlap). This is entirely compatible with some people being paid more than others.
> Adopting a victim mentality and presenting oneself as a victim of some kind is a fairly inexpensive way to maximize the receipt of ones needs while minimizing ones contribution.
We have that in increasing amounts today and our society looks about as far from a Marxist vision as anyone could imagine. So whether a society is based in Marxism or Liberalism seems to have very little bearing on victim mentality.
You could argue the victim mentality comes from academia and their bizarre interpretation of Marxism (ie "cultural Marxism") but the two things are similar in name only.
I think of Marxism as a critique of capitalism and absentee property norms. I don't think it has much intersection with people trying to get things for free by playing the victim.
Not Marx's analysis of capitalism, but rather Marx's creed from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs. This became the slogan of the Marxist movement which rejected the prior socialist creed of to each according to their contribution.
If people's reward is independent of their contribution and instead a function of their needs then it incentivizes presenting oneself as the least capable, since those who do so are the ones for whom the least will be asked of. Adopting a victim mentality and presenting oneself as a victim of some kind is a fairly inexpensive way to maximize the receipt of ones needs while minimizing ones contribution.