"A social worker will tell you that individuals victim blame because it feels too scary to embrace the reality that good people can get hurt, raped, or killed when they’ve done nothing wrong. It’s a frightening prospect to place all the responsibility on the perpetrator because that means that you, as an individual, are powerless to prevent harm to yourself. So in order to preserve a sense of self-safety, individuals lay blame on victims. The victim’s behavior is what led to the harm. If we don’t act like the victim, then harm won’t come to us. The individual response ultimately translates to an intentional and conscious distortion of reality. The individual is choosing to alter his or her perception of reality to put them at ease; so they don’t have to be afraid. That is why Pakistanis victim blame. Victim blaming absolves society of reality and in turn, responsibility for the ills that befall others. What burden does society bear when the victim is to blame? This refusal to embrace reality and take responsibility also manifests itself in the widespread traction of conspiracy theories in Pakistan. The Taliban bomb a Pakistani market? No, no, it must be Indian agents giving the Taliban a bad name. Baloch insurgency on the rise? No, no, it must be the Americans trying to sabotage the Chinese in Gwadar. These types of conspiracy theories, coupled with the reality disconnect of victim blaming, have impaired the ability of society to engage in rational public discourse. Just pick up a newspaper or flip on a television. See for yourself."