Psychological Socialism:
Manipulating through Equalizing Blame
What is “psychological socialism”? I’m so glad you asked! It’s a term I coined a few years ago as rough concept after reading a friend's Facebook status (more on that later). Since then, I’ve done a lot of research on abusive and unhealthy interpersonal dynamics. What I’ve read about and heard from others is enough to make my hair stand on end, but it gave me a lot of material to finally write this article!
I use the term "psychological socialism" to describe a kind of blame shifting in which a person attempts to equalize responsibility for poor behavior when in reality there is notable difference in guilt levels. Share and share alike, right? We're all to blame, aren't we? Not so fast.
I use the term "psychological socialism" to describe a kind of blame shifting in which a person attempts to equalize responsibility for poor behavior when in reality there is notable difference in guilt levels. Share and share alike, right? We're all to blame, aren't we? Not so fast.
Typically, the line of reasoning goes like this. In an
average conflict, it is rare that one party is the complete villain and the
other is the complete saint. We all make mistakes, and we should all take
proper responsibility for our share of the blame. However, that does not mean
that the two people are equally guilty and should bear equal responsibility. Unfortunately, this “we all sin”
concept can be an excuse that is used to manipulate and abuse. One person tries
to justify seriously bad behavior by pointing to a more minor flaw or mistake by the other,
and thus attempts to deflect blame by counter-blaming. This blame equalizing can also
be done by a third party, such as a counselor. Here are some statements you might hear in a
variety of situations, along with my gut-level mental response to them…
* Note: trigger alert for discussion of
sexual and physical abuse *
“We are both guilty, so why are you getting on my case? Why
don’t you take the log out of your eye before you go gouging around for a speck
in mine?” (You are being held responsible
for something much more serious. Someone does not have to be perfect in order
to correct you.)
“You act like I’m a horrible monster, like I was molesting
my kids or something. You think you are
such a perfect angel, but you are just so self-righteous it makes me sick.” (You are using hyperbole so she will have to
back off on her assertions. She never
said what you claimed she said. You are
essentially demanding that she assure you that you aren’t really that bad. You are trying to make her feel guilty for setting boundaries. Because you are claiming something that is false, you are also "gas lighting" her.)
“I had an affair because you weren’t paying any attention to
me. If you were being a good husband, I
wouldn’t be forced to look for affection from someone else.” (You
made the choice to break your marriage vow.)
“If you didn’t want to do it with me, you shouldn’t have
worn that tight shirt and short skirt when we went out. I couldn’t help myself. When you dress like a slut, don’t act so
surprised when you get treated like one…” (She
said NO. What you did to her was not
consensual. It was rape and that’s illegal.)
“Mom, I know I got a little tipsy last night at the party, but you
kept nagging me about homework and chores, and I just had to escape for a
while and have a few beers with my friends. You’re just
so strict!” (You are under the legal drinking age, lazy, and on the path to potential alcohol addiction. You need to grow up and take
responsibility.)
“That greedy brat wouldn’t share with me, so I had to grab
it away from her. It’s not my fault that it broke, and I’m not going to pay her
back for it. Aren’t you going to punish
her for yelling at me?” (It was hers. She did not have to share,
even if she was acting selfishly. You broke it, and you
need to make restitution, even if she wasn't patient.)
“You are just too fearful, just because I was a little rough once in a while. Making me move out of the house isn't fair. You are trying to ruin my relationship with the
kids.” (You have exhibited a strong
pattern of aggressive behavior as a husband and father. Your estranged wife is showing
plenty of courage standing up to you. She has a legal responsibility to protect the children from your abuse. You are lucky she hasn't filed a domestic
violence injunction. Yet.)
"I would have let you out of the room if you would have just listened to me for once!" (An adult blocking the exit to a room to prevent another adult from leaving is false imprisonment, which is illegal. The exception, of course, is when you are preventing a criminal from escaping the scene of a crime.)
“I don’t know why you kept going on and on at the
counseling appointment about how nasty I am to you. I should have told her what a mess the
kitchen is. And she should have told you
to respect me and keep the house clean.
She’s such a feminist male-bashing counselor. Sure, you can waste my hard-earned money and go be brain washed again. Something around here needs to be washed!” (Like a busy mom of toddlers deserves all
that cussing and raging because she didn’t do the dishes last night?)
“Well, sure your husband needs to stop beating the
kids. But if you wouldn’t let them waste
so much time with video games, he wouldn’t get so angry. I’m just trying to
help, but if you aren’t going to listen to me, then you won’t see any progress
in your marriage.” (She is paying you
$150 to hear you blame her for the child abuse while her husband smiles and
nods? Does the word “enabling” ring a bell?)
“Your husband said he’s sorry. You aren’t helping the matter
by refusing to forgive and trust him again. By the way, you are looking
depressed today. If you would just take meds for your depression, maybe you
wouldn’t be so stressed out and you could deal with your life better. Here, let me write you a referral to a
psychiatrist.” (This woman has endured
years of verbal abuse. She has every
right to be upset and not trust her husband. She is depressed because of the
circumstances that he has brought on, and you are making her feel even more
inadequate. Pills are not going to help much. Neither will your shaming.)
“You are such a whiny #@#$%@ brat! If you don’t want me to scream at you, then
you should shut up and stop pestering me.
Look, there aren’t any bruises! I didn’t know you were going to trip on that
broom when I gave you that little push.
You shouldn’t be so clumsy. Go to
your room and think about what you have done.”
(You just abused your child
verbally, physically, and emotionally.
There is no excuse. You are the
mom and you are supposed to be mature enough to deal with childishness.)
“You are just bitter and angry. After you deal with that sin in your own
heart, you can come back so we can talk rationally about why I, as the pastor
of this church, made that policy.” (You
can’t dismiss a valid complaint because of the tone of voice someone uses when
he is frustrated. You are accountable to
your church members anyway, especially since they pay your salary. A church is
not an autocracy.)
“I’m the leader of this house, and I will make the decisions
for this family as I see fit. You are being so disrespectful in the way you
bring it up. You just don’t like to submit to me. You’re such a rebellious wife. Quit nagging
me. How can I lead you if you won't listen to me?” (Leaders listen. You haven’t.
Submission does not mean silence. You are being a chauvinist.)
“OK, so I spent over $500 today on a shopping spree. But you never want to do anything fun with me, so I had to go do it by myself. What's a girl gonna do?” (A bit of passive aggressive punishment? You can have fun without blowing the budget. It may be legal, but it’s stupid.)
“I borrowed that equipment from the company without permission because you didn’t give me the raise I deserved, and I had to make some free lance income.” (You stole it. Thieves deserve to be fired, not promoted.)
~~~
Is that enough now?
I’ve been meaning to write this article for a few years,
ever since a friend wrote a Facebook status along the lines of, “Whenever you
have a conflict with your husband, look at your own heart. You are just as guilty.”
That sounds so pious, but it can become so
twisted. How do you know that one person is just as guilty as the other? Sure,
in a normal healthy marriage, with both spouses trying hard but making
mistakes, that may not be too far off. Yeah, we should be patient, not demand
perfection, live and let live, yada yada.
Unfortunately, that line of reasoning has silenced countless
true victims and made them vulnerable to even more mistreatment.
What's the point?
What to do?
If you are being unreasonably blamed…
- Do not bear the guilt for the misbehavior of others. Just because they claim you are just as guilty, that doesn’t make it true or fair.
- Take on your own responsibility, but don’t grovel. Acknowledge it simply, and don’t let yourself be manipulated.
- Don’t get sucked into a long and heated argument to prove your innocence. If this isn't just a normal conflict, give it a pass. You can’t reason with irrational people who don’t want to take responsibility. They aren't interested in being fair. They just want to be in control, no matter what it takes.
- Disengage from the pointless conversation and move along with your life. You may even need to end the relationship, or at least distance yourself from the damage with healthy boundaries.
- If this is a serious on-going issue, seek help from a trustworthy counselor or friend.
If you are the guilty (or guiltier) party…
- Stop minimizing valid complaints.
- Stop excusing and counter-accusing.
- Stop the victim blaming and shaming.
- Stop the crazy making.
- Start apologizing for your manipulation.
- Start taking responsibility for good choices.
- Start repenting and making restitution.
- Start being a safe and healthy person whom others can trust. If you can't overcome your behavior by yourself, seek out a counselor and be ready to work hard at change.
- True Repentance (It's a Very Good Thing!)
- If You Expect Real Respect...
- Follow the Way of Love
- Dignity, Decisions, and Liberty of Conscience
- We Can't Ignore Domestic Violence
- Bonding and Bondage in Abusive Relationships
- Abuse Thrives in a Culture of Shame and Silence
- Tender Compassion for Mothers
- Child Discipline or Child Abuse?
- Submission Is Not Silence by Elisabeth Julin (A Review)
- Help for Hurting Marriages
- It Became to Me a Dark Thing (A Poem)
- Stop, Drop and Roll! (How to Deal with a Conflict)
Grace and peace,
Virginia Knowles
