House might be an asshole, but at heart he's a w00bie, and w00bies can get away with anything they want. This is in direct contradiction to the way I see him, as a man who has (largely) had to suffer the consequences of his own actions, and who is, as of now, desperately struggling find his way out of a hole he has dug for himself.

Well, that's the difference. Being a victim of something does not excuse one from responsibility for one's own actions. This martyr!House attitude severely downplays the responsibility part.