"The benefits of abuse are a major social secret, rarely mentioned anywhere. Why? Largely because..."

“The benefits of abuse are a major social secret, rarely mentioned anywhere. Why? Largely because abusers are specialists in distracting our attention. They don’t want anyone to notice how well this system is working for them (and usually don’t even want to admit it to themselves). If we caught on, we would stop feeling sorry for them and instead start holding them accountable for their actions. As long as we see abusers as victims, or as out-of-control monsters, they will continue getting away with ruining lives.”

- Lundy Bancroft, Why Does He Do That? (via johnverbingalonewithnouns)