“You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your fuckin’ fingers and say, ‘That’s the bad guy.’ So what that make you? Good? You’re not good. You just know how to hide, how to lie.”— Oliver Stone, Tony Montana, Al Pacino, imdb.com
“The difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism is the presence of a personal attack and impossible standards. These so-called critics often don’t want to help you improve, they just want to nitpick, pull you down and scapegoat you in any way they can. Abusive narcissists and…”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“There are implicit rules to never unmask the toxicity of the group or its decisions. Questions are always met with ambiguous or vague answers or outright reprimands and punishment. The victim’s duty is to keep quiet, remain a scapegoat and not make a fuss about carrying out dirty work for the group.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“To make the conspiracy all the more effective, the victim is further silenced by what makes them so special in the first place – their ability to be discerning, their sensitive nature, their compassion – are all used to paint them as unhinged should they dare to speak out.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“Truth-tellers are commonly scapegoated in groups where there is toxicity brimming beneath the surface.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“This example illustrates something deeply important: groups with one or more sociopaths do not target people who are incompetent. On the contrary, they target those who threaten the status quo in some way.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“These victims may at first be idealized and love-bombed. They are subjected to praise, laser-focused attention, gifts and false promises to lure them into the group. They are “groomed” to feel like a part of the group, which often has many cult-like qualities which discourage dissent and discussion.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com