Abuse Quote by Anna Salter
““For every group, malevolence is always somewhere else. Maybe we understand at this point in history that it can occur at night in darkened rooms where small children sleep. However, surely not in academia. Surely lying and deception do not occur among people who go to conferences, who write books, who testify in court, and who have PhDs. At one point I complained to a Florida judge that I was astonished to an expert witness lying on the stand [about child sexual abuse research]. I thought one had to tell the truth in court. I thought if someone didn't, she didn't get her milk and cookies. I thought God came down and plucked someone right out of the witness stand if he lied in court. I thought a lying expert witness would step out of court and get hit by a bus. A wiser woman than I, the judge's answer was, “Silly you." Confessions of a Whistle-Blower: Lessons Learned Author: Anna C. Salter. Ethics & Behavior, Volume 8, Issue 2 June 1998””
About This Quote
Source Article: Confessions of a Whistle-Blower, Ethics & Behavior, 1998
The quote exposes the false belief that academia and experts are inherently honest, highlighting that deception can occur anywhere, even among highly educated professionals.
In simple terms: Even experts can lie; no field is immune.
Question assumptions about integrity in any profession.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- court testimony
- academic research
- policy advising
- media reporting
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify credibility?
- What safeguards can protect against expert deception?
Idealizing expertise can blind us to fraud.