Thread by @wad3mullen

I’ve had a hard week of sitting and hearing multiple stories of the destruction caused by narcissistic and deceptive perpetrators who prey on others.

I’m reminded again of how much I want others to “get it”, yet I’m not sure that can really happen unless you’ve survived it.

To those who haven’t experienced the trauma of abuse and want to gain at least a partial understanding, I invite you to listen.

Listen to the thousands of survivors who have shared their story or have had their story reported by the media.

Listen, listen, listen, listen.

Listen until you weep.

Listen until you get angry.

Listen until you can listen no longer.

Rest and recover.

Then return to listening.

Return to weeping over the darkness.

Return to righteous anger over the injustice.

Listen to those who have devoted their careers to understanding abuse and the trauma it causes. Listen to these experts.

Don’t turn away when they describe painful truths.

Don’t minimize their conclusions, their concerns, their warnings.

Don’t ignore their recommendations.

You might not do anything beyond listening. That’s okay. Don’t listen to teach. Don’t listen to someday lecture. Listen just to learn.

And let that learning inform your response if your response is ever needed.

Let that learning inform your words in case they ever need voicing.