Martyr complex

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section may contain original research or unattributed claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.

In psychology, a person who has a martyr complex desires the feeling of being a martyr for its own sake, seeking out suffering or persecution because it feeds a psychological need.

[edit] Exaggerated desire for self-sacrifice

In an interpersonal relationship, a person with a "martyr complex" may willfully suffer in the name of love or duty. Sometimes the suffering may be a result of putting up with abuse or neglect; in other cases the suffering is self-inflicted. It is sometimes regarded as a form of masochism.

There are two kinds of this martyr complex.

• A person may consider himself worthless, feeling that his sole purpose in life is to serve the other; he finds pride in doing so. This is associated with an inferiority complex.

• A person may feel undervalued and taken for granted because he gives so much and puts up with so much in return; this is often associated with a superiority complex. A person in this situation seeks other people to feel pity for him, saying things like "I gave her everything, and she ruined my life." While posing as altruists, such people are in fact self-centered and manipulative. Their behavior is a kind of passive-aggressive behavior.

A martyr complex can often accompany codependence, such as in a relationship in which each person feels validated by putting up with the other.

[edit] Self-victimization

A martyr complex can also be a tendency to feel that one is being singled out for persecution. It is often characterized by the belief that one's persecution is the result of exceptional integrity.