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In reply to the discussion: Are Heartless People Simply Born That Way? [View all]CoffeeCat
(24,411 posts)Google can take you to some interesting links.
The one thing that I read that really struck me is about scapegoats and how they are the most honest children in the family. Really, they are the least sick. However, they are attacked for their honesty and for their healthy attitudes. They are made to feel like the troublemakers of the family when they speak out or when they show any pain/emotion about how screwed up the family is.
The abusers demand silence, and when a scapegoat displays pain, which indicates a problem in the family--the abusers do a number on the scapegoat. They manipulate them into submission. They will attack them and pain them as the big problem in the family.
But the scapegoat still sees the dysfunction and senses that something is very, very wrong. But they know that if they speak out or be honest--that they will be attacked, blamed and hated on multiple fronts. So, they suffer. And they may try to drown their feelings with alcohol, drugs or other addictive behaviors. Then, the family engages in further finger pointing, "See. He is the problem. He is on drugs. We are not the problem. He is."
It's simply not true. The scapegoat is a bellweather. The honest child. They're courageous and amazing in my opinion.