In the prevailing paradigm we have been conditioned to believe that power is a scarce commodity)it comes as a by-product of having achieved some sort of status. Whenever we see ourselves(individually, corporately, or nationally)as less powerful than some other party, it"s only logical to conclude that we lack whatever it takes to confer sufficient status. It could be wealth, education, good looks, toughness, strength, connections, intelligence, and so on, depending on our particular social milieu. It is natural to keep trying to get more of that attribute that will elevate you to more power. One consequence of concluding that relative powerlessness is due to a personal deficiency of some kind is the tendency to become preoccupied with pointing the finger of blame, "It"s my parents" fault," "My employer is to blame," "The government did it to me," "I didn"t have the appropriate education," "I"ve got the wrong genes. " The list is only limited by our imagination. Another consequence of blaming others or circumstances outside our control for lack of power is that it promotes feelings of self-pity, jealousy, anxiety, discouragement, resentment, and resignation. It"s not that there are no legitimate limitations to our power; limitations based on gender, physical disability, prejudice, etc. are all too common. It"s that the process of assessing blame keeps us from moving on with our lives. The victim mentality saps resolve and strength. Eventually it becomes a self fulfilling prophesy as people caught up in this mindset do indeed become increasingly powerless. Helping to keep people stuck in this morass are the perceived benefits of being seen as a victim. Not only does the victim get sympathy and attention, be or she is also able to exploit the sympathetic feelings of others for purposes of manipulation and control. Sometimes we point the finger of blame at ourselves. "If only we had done something differently," we reason, "we wouldn"t be in this position. " We tell ourselves that "we should have known better" or "only a "loser" would have let this happen. " In this way we gradually condition ourselves to believe that we are unworthy of success. This way of thinking is quite prevalent, even among those who are regarded as successful or powerful. For many, this thought process leads them to try even harder —work harder, compete harder, be more aggressive all with the aim of compensating for their deficiencies. Some end up overcompensating for their low self-esteems as a result they come across as aggressive, bard driving, over-bearing, arrogant, or superior. People who blame themselves for the lack of power______.

A. give more compensation to their defects
B. make every attempt to become stronger
C. tend to become losers in their daily life
D. are short of confidence in their abilities