--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Abuse of any kind thrives off secrecy. I…" description: "\"Abuse of any kind thrives off secrecy. I felt like if I started talking about it, maybe other people would. I wanted to break the silence. Now I feel I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/chris-witty-47220_abuse_abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i_2495525.jpg" --- # Abuse of any kind thrives off secrecy. I felt like if I… ![“Abuse of any kind thrives off secrecy. I felt like if I started talking about it, maybe other people would. I wanted to break the silence. Now I feel I'm in a much better place emotionally than I've ever been anytime in my life.” quote by Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/chris-witty-47220_abuse_abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i_2495525.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/chris-witty-47220_abuse_abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i_2495525.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/chris-witty-47220_abuse_abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i_2495525.jpg) > “Abuse of any kind thrives off secrecy. I felt like if I started talking about it, maybe other people would. I wanted to break the silence. Now I feel I'm in a much better place emotionally than I've ever been anytime in my life.” [Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Secrecy fuels abuse; speaking out breaks the cycle and promotes emotional healing. **In simple terms:** Talking stops abuse. Key Takeaway Speak out to heal. Themes abuse secrecy healing voice empowerment Mood hopeful empowering Type motivational psychological When to use this quote - Therapy sessions - support groups - advocacy campaigns - personal storytelling Key Concepts Trauma recovery social stigma courage Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to support someone breaking silence? - How does sharing personal trauma aid recovery? A Different Perspective Fear of retaliation can still silence victims. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Better place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-place/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-silence-653182/) [Emotionally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotionally/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Secrecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrecy/) [Secrecy Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrecy-felt-1009580/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Silence Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-feel-635811/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Thrive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrive/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) ## Related quotes > [Abuse exists because of secrecy. If I can use this platform and talk about it and break the silence, somebody can get the help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/abuse-exists-because-of-secrecy-if-i-can-use-this-platform-and-talk/) [Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) > [There is a lot of silence in me, and I feel that silence is often better than spoken words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randeep-hooda/there-is-a-lot-of-silence-in-me-and-i-feel-that-silence-is-often/) [Randeep Hooda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randeep-hooda/) > [I feel the rain but the sun is shining, I hear the noise but there is silence, I feel the static but there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-feel-the-rain-but-the-sun-is-shining-i-hear-the-noise-but-there-is/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“Some days my thoughts refuse to silence themselves, and I feel like I'm walking around in darkness reaching for a stretched hand. I sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-a-o-neal/some-days-my-thoughts-refuse-to-silence-themselves-and-i-feel-like-i/) [Terry a O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-a-o-neal/) > [“Our society is much more interested in information than wonder, in noise rather than silence...And I feel that we need a lot more wonder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/our-society-is-much-more-interested-in-information-than-wonder-in/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [Don't you hate that? Uncomfortable silence. Why do we feel it's necessary to talk about stupid stuff in order to feel comfortable? That's when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-you-hate-that-uncomfortable-silence-why-do-we-feel-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sometimes the emptiness in a room becomes palpable as if you could reach out and touch it real, hear its silence, feel its black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-smith/sometimes-the-emptiness-in-a-room-becomes-palpable-as-if-you-could/) [Gloria Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-smith/) > [“The click of the seat belt securing into the buckle is the only sound to break the awkward silence. I feel his warm breath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-g-jones/the-click-of-the-seat-belt-securing-into-the-buckle-is-the-only-sound/) [Nina G. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-g-jones/) > [Speech and silence. We feel safer with a madman who talks than with one who cannot open his mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/speech-and-silence-we-feel-safer-with-a-madman-who-talks-than-with/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [We have to learn to go beyond both a positive mind and a negative mind to become a silent, nonjudgmental, non-analytical, non-interpretiv e mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/we-have-to-learn-to-go-beyond-both-a-positive-mind-and-a-negative/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“No More Silence   If you feel like you have to be silent, let me be the first to say you don't. And if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennae-cecelia/no-more-silence-if-you-feel-like-you-have-to-be-silent-let-me-be-the/) [Jennae Cecelia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennae-cecelia/) > [All Too Often You Speak Simply To Fill The Space With Sound, Because You Feel Too Uncomfortable With Silence. But This Silence Is Golden.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/all-too-often-you-speak-simply-to-fill-the-space-with-sound-because/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [“There was a time when I loved silence, because there was so much of noise of friends, family and other people around that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ratish-edwards/there-was-a-time-when-i-loved-silence-because-there-was-so-much-of/) [Ratish Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ratish-edwards/) > [Children should always be brave and do something about bullying. It's not okay to stand by and let it happen. Bullies thrive off secrecy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-staunton/children-should-always-be-brave-and-do-something-about-bullying-it-s/) [Imelda Staunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-staunton/) > [The values of science and the values of democracy are concordant, in many cases indistinguishable. Science and democracy began - in their civilized incarnations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-values-of-science-and-the-values-of-democracy-are-concordant-in/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More by Chris Witty > [It's easier to limit yourself, but if you do, you will never reach your true potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/it-s-easier-to-limit-yourself-but-if-you-do-you-will-never-reach-your/) [Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) > [It was something I really wanted to do. I can't imagine what it will be like to carry the flag and walk through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/it-was-something-i-really-wanted-to-do-i-can-t-imagine-what-it-will/) [Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) > [If you want it and you dream about it...there's nothing that's going to stop you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/if-you-want-it-and-you-dream-about-it-there-s-nothing-that-s-going-to/) [Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) > [It's important to talk about it. You raise awareness. But you can also prevent it (child abuse) by not letting it be a secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/it-s-important-to-talk-about-it-you-raise-awareness-but-you-can-also/) [Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) > [Abuse exists because of secrecy. If I can use this platform and talk about it and break the silence, somebody can get the help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/abuse-exists-because-of-secrecy-if-i-can-use-this-platform-and-talk/) [Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) > [What a great opportunity to come to my fifth Olympics, be flag bearer and also be a returning medalist so I have a platform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/what-a-great-opportunity-to-come-to-my-fifth-olympics-be-flag-bearer/) [Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) > [There's a lot more pressure when you're a medal favorite. Now, nobody has any expectations for me. Nobody knows what I can do, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/there-s-a-lot-more-pressure-when-you-re-a-medal-favorite-now-nobody/) [Chris Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) [Explore all 8 Chris Witty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Abuse of any kind thrives off secrecy. I felt like if I started talking about it, maybe other people would. I wanted to break the silence. Now I feel I'm in a much better place emotionally than I've ever been anytime in my life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chris Witty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i-felt-like-if-i-started/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i-felt-like-if-i-started/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/chris-witty-47220_abuse_abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i_2495525.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/chris-witty-47220_abuse_abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i_2495525.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/chris-witty-47220_abuse_abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i_2495525.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Abuse of any kind thrives off secrecy. I felt like if I started talking about it, maybe other people would…” — Chris Witty", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chris Witty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-witty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Abuse of any kind thrives off...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i-felt-like-if-i-started/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-witty/abuse-of-any-kind-thrives-off-secrecy-i-felt-like-if-i-started/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```