--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were probably many factors that…" description: "\"“There were probably many factors that kept the relationship going and kept your love alive. There were all his promises. \"I promise this will never ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/meg-kennedy-dugan-98632_first-time_there-were-probably-many-factors-that-ke_13141.jpg" --- # There were probably many factors that kept the… ![“There were probably many factors that kept the relationship going and kept your love alive. There were all his promises. "I promise this will never happen again." You believed him the first time. And the second. As the abuse continued, he became increasingly remorseful, his promises more…” quote by Meg Kennedy Dugan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/meg-kennedy-dugan-98632_first-time_there-were-probably-many-factors-that-ke_13141.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/meg-kennedy-dugan-98632_first-time_there-were-probably-many-factors-that-ke_13141.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/732/meg-kennedy-dugan-98632_first-time_there-were-probably-many-factors-that-ke_13141.jpg) > ““There were probably many factors that kept the relationship going and kept your love alive. There were all his promises. "I promise this will never happen again." You believed him the first time. And the second. As the abuse continued, he became increasingly remorseful, his promises more insistent. You continued to believe him; you wanted to believe him. After all, you loved him. Then there were all the apologies. He seemed truly sorry. You forgave him. Now, however, when you think back, you realize the apologies were conditional. They blamed you! "I'm sorry, but if only you hadn't..." They always made his abuse somehow your fault. You may have begun to believe this, and you may even remember apologizing to him. You began to believe that if you were careful about what you said or did, you could prevent the abuse from happening again. As the abuse escalated over time, the blaming became more obvious. "I didn't mean to hurt you, but if you just weren't so \[stupid, ugly, careless, dumb, etc.\], this would never have happened." Time after time you were made to believe that every act of violence or abuse was your fault. Day after day you were made to feel that you were unworthy of him.”” [Meg Kennedy Dugan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-kennedy-dugan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Abusive relationships trap victims with false promises and blame, making them feel unworthy. **In simple terms:** Abusers manipulate through promises and guilt. Key Takeaway Break cycles of blame and seek support. Themes abuse manipulation guilt self‑esteem relationships Mood painful hopeful Type advice personal When to use this quote - counseling - support groups - personal boundaries Key Concepts psychological abuse victim dynamics recovery pathways Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate manipulation? - How can you reclaim self‑worth? A Different Perspective Victims may rationalize ongoing abuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apologizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologizing/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Hadn Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hadn-abuse-373538/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Realize Apologies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize-apologies-373539/) [Remember Apologizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-apologizing-373537/) [Remorseful Promises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remorseful-promises-373540/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“A lady need never apologize. ~ Joseph de Bonaparte (Brother of Napoleon)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pataki/a-lady-need-never-apologize-joseph-de-bonaparte-brother-of-napoleon/) [Allison Pataki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pataki/) > [I apologize for the cruel things that I did but I don't regret one single word I said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/five-finger-death-punch/i-apologize-for-the-cruel-things-that-i-did-but-i-don-t-regret-one/) [Five Finger Death Punch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/five-finger-death-punch/) > [I want to use my connections with coaches, players, celebrities, whomever, and if I can take that friendship and use it to help someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tebow/i-want-to-use-my-connections-with-coaches-players-celebrities/) [Tim Tebow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tebow/) > [How many chefs when I was a young boy shouted at me during service? All I ever said was "Yes, chef." The customer is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/how-many-chefs-when-i-was-a-young-boy-shouted-at-me-during-service/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Don't apologize for being patriotic. Support the troops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/don-t-apologize-for-being-patriotic-support-the-troops/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [My overall point is that 'one and dones' are not healthy for college basketball. I should not have made it personal to Kentucky and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-knight/my-overall-point-is-that-one-and-dones-are-not-healthy-for-college/) [Bobby Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-knight/) > [To the millions of Americans whove attempted to use HealthCare.gov to shop and enroll in health-care coverage, I want to apologize to you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-tavenner/to-the-millions-of-americans-whove-attempted-to-use-healthcare-gov-to/) [Marilyn Tavenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-tavenner/) > [I have a responsibility, and it's something that I did wrong, and if I could personally apologize to every single person that has lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-richie/i-have-a-responsibility-and-it-s-something-that-i-did-wrong-and-if-i/) [Nicole Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-richie/) > [I would like to publicly apologize to anyone I have NOT offended¦I will get to you shortly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-would-like-to-publicly-apologize-to-anyone-i-have-not-offended-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Apologizing does not always mean you are wrong, it just means that value your relationships more than your ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinier-bennett/apologizing-does-not-always-mean-you-are-wrong-it-just-means-that/) [Chinier Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinier-bennett/) > [President Bush deliberately did not apologize for things and that’s because advisers around him, including those there, felt that the press corps would jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gregory/president-bush-deliberately-did-not-apologize-for-things-and-that-s/) [David Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gregory/) > [I have some friends who are actors. I've watched them work. And I would say that of all the arts, acting is the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-have-some-friends-who-are-actors-i-ve-watched-them-work-and-i-would/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [To apologize for what you most wanted to do, to concede that it was obnoxious, boring, 'vulgar and unsafe' --- that was the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hollinghurst/to-apologize-for-what-you-most-wanted-to-do-to-concede-that-it-was/) [Alan Hollinghurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hollinghurst/) > [A jerk will keep hurting you then apologize to keep you from leaving them, and then do it all over again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/a-jerk-will-keep-hurting-you-then-apologize-to-keep-you-from-leaving/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-wasn-t-saying-whatever-they-re-saying-i-was-saying-i-m-sorry-i-said/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) ## More by Meg Kennedy Dugan > [“Are boys encouraged to express sadness, fear, or anxiety? In general, our society gives boys permission for one emotion: anger. If a boy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-kennedy-dugan/are-boys-encouraged-to-express-sadness-fear-or-anxiety-in-general-our/) [Meg Kennedy Dugan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-kennedy-dugan/) [Explore all 2 Meg Kennedy Dugan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-kennedy-dugan/) ## More Apologizing quotes > [“A lady need never apologize. ~ Joseph de Bonaparte (Brother of Napoleon)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pataki/a-lady-need-never-apologize-joseph-de-bonaparte-brother-of-napoleon/) [Allison Pataki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pataki/) > [A jerk will keep hurting you then apologize to keep you from leaving them, and then do it all over again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/a-jerk-will-keep-hurting-you-then-apologize-to-keep-you-from-leaving/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [To apologize for what you most wanted to do, to concede that it was obnoxious, boring, 'vulgar and unsafe' --- that was the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hollinghurst/to-apologize-for-what-you-most-wanted-to-do-to-concede-that-it-was/) [Alan Hollinghurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hollinghurst/) > [I have some friends who are actors. I've watched them work. And I would say that of all the arts, acting is the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-have-some-friends-who-are-actors-i-ve-watched-them-work-and-i-would/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [President Bush deliberately did not apologize for things and that’s because advisers around him, including those there, felt that the press corps would jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gregory/president-bush-deliberately-did-not-apologize-for-things-and-that-s/) [David Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gregory/) > [Apologizing does not always mean you are wrong, it just means that value your relationships more than your ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinier-bennett/apologizing-does-not-always-mean-you-are-wrong-it-just-means-that/) [Chinier Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinier-bennett/) > [I would like to publicly apologize to anyone I have NOT offended¦I will get to you shortly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-would-like-to-publicly-apologize-to-anyone-i-have-not-offended-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have a responsibility, and it's something that I did wrong, and if I could personally apologize to every single person that has lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-richie/i-have-a-responsibility-and-it-s-something-that-i-did-wrong-and-if-i/) [Nicole Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-richie/) > [To the millions of Americans whove attempted to use HealthCare.gov to shop and enroll in health-care coverage, I want to apologize to you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-tavenner/to-the-millions-of-americans-whove-attempted-to-use-healthcare-gov-to/) [Marilyn Tavenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-tavenner/) > [My overall point is that 'one and dones' are not healthy for college basketball. I should not have made it personal to Kentucky and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-knight/my-overall-point-is-that-one-and-dones-are-not-healthy-for-college/) [Bobby Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-knight/) > [Don't apologize for being patriotic. Support the troops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/don-t-apologize-for-being-patriotic-support-the-troops/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [How many chefs when I was a young boy shouted at me during service? All I ever said was "Yes, chef." The customer is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/how-many-chefs-when-i-was-a-young-boy-shouted-at-me-during-service/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [I want to use my connections with coaches, players, celebrities, whomever, and if I can take that friendship and use it to help someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tebow/i-want-to-use-my-connections-with-coaches-players-celebrities/) [Tim Tebow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tebow/) > [I apologize for the cruel things that I did but I don't regret one single word I said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/five-finger-death-punch/i-apologize-for-the-cruel-things-that-i-did-but-i-don-t-regret-one/) [Five Finger Death Punch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/five-finger-death-punch/) > [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-wasn-t-saying-whatever-they-re-saying-i-was-saying-i-m-sorry-i-said/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) [Browse all 854 Apologizing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologizing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There were probably many factors that kept the relationship going and kept your love alive. There were all his promises. \"I promise this will never happen again.\" You believed him the first time. And the second. As the abuse continued, he became increasingly remorseful, his promises more insistent. You continued to believe him; you wanted to believe him. After all, you loved him. Then there were all the apologies. He seemed truly sorry. You forgave him. Now, however, when you think back, you realize the apologies were conditional. 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