--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not possible to be truly balanced…" description: "\"It is not possible to be truly balanced in one's views of an abuser and an abused woman. As Dr. Judith Herman explains eloquently in her masterwork Tra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/beb/lundy-bancroft-6837_abuse_it-is-not-possible-to-be-truly-balanced_823513.jpg" --- # It is not possible to be truly balanced in one's views of… ![“It is not possible to be truly balanced in one's views of an abuser and an abused woman. As Dr. Judith Herman explains eloquently in her masterwork Trauma and Recovery, “neutrality” actually serves the interests of the perpetrator much more than those of the victim and so is not neutral. Although…” quote by Lundy Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/beb/lundy-bancroft-6837_abuse_it-is-not-possible-to-be-truly-balanced_823513.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/beb/lundy-bancroft-6837_abuse_it-is-not-possible-to-be-truly-balanced_823513.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/beb/lundy-bancroft-6837_abuse_it-is-not-possible-to-be-truly-balanced_823513.jpg) > “It is not possible to be truly balanced in one's views of an abuser and an abused woman. As Dr. Judith Herman explains eloquently in her masterwork Trauma and Recovery, “neutrality” actually serves the interests of the perpetrator much more than those of the victim and so is not neutral. Although an abuser prefers to have you wholeheartedly on his side, he will settle contentedly for your decision to take a middle stance. To him, that means you see the couple's problems as partly her fault and partly his fault, which means it isn't abuse.” [Lundy Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lundy-bancroft/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Neutrality in abuse cases protects the abuser because it obscures responsibility and minimizes victim harm. **In simple terms:** Staying neutral helps the abuser. Key Takeaway Avoid taking a middle stance; side with the victim. Themes abuse justice victim advocacy Mood serious empathetic Type ethical advocacy When to use this quote - counseling sessions - legal testimony - support groups - policy making Key Concepts power dynamics ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How does perceived neutrality affect victim trust? - What policies can prevent false neutrality? A Different Perspective Neutrality can be misinterpreted as fairness, complicating interventions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Abused Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abused-woman/) [Abused women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abused-women/) [Abusers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abusers/) [Abusive relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abusive-relationship/) [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Eloquent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eloquent/) [Impossibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossibility/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Neutrality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neutrality/) [Oppressors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressors/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Recovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recovery/) [Relationship problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-problem/) [Trauma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trauma/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) [Weak women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak-women/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [“Your abusive partner’s cycles of moving in and out of periods of cruelty can cause you to feel very close to him during those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lundy-bancroft/your-abusive-partner-s-cycles-of-moving-in-and-out-of-periods-of/) [Lundy Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lundy-bancroft/) > [“YOUR ABUSIVE PARTNER DOESN’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HIS ANGER; HE HAS A PROBLEM WITH YOUR ANGER. 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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": "It is not possible to be truly balanced in one's views of an abuser and an abused woman. 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