THE JOYS OF VICTIMHOOD
LEAD: I found Joseph Epstein's article a little disappointing. Lots of mental-health research has showed that the mistreatment of children leads to lasting emotional damage, including feelings of worthlessness, helplessness and anger - i.e., the perception of oneself as a victim, even decades after the abuse has stopped.
I found Joseph Epstein's article a little disappointing. Lots of mental-health research has showed that the mistreatment of children leads to lasting emotional damage, including feelings of worthlessness, helplessness and anger - i.e., the perception of oneself as a victim, even decades after the abuse has stopped.
Mr. Epstein's article would have been a more thoughtful one if, besides writing about his (and many other people's) impatience with those who perceive themselves as victims, he had also considered the origins of their distorted self-perceptions. ELIZABETH MORGAN, M.D.  Washington