I'm just interested in knowing how other people here react to this and whether they think my reaction is part of my PTSD.
A distant in-law relative of mine, estranged from the family, and whom I have never met, claims she was sexually abused by her father, who denies it. My sister-in-law, every time the topic comes up, breezily says 'the truth is probably somewhere in the middle'. It seems to be a catch-phrase of hers, and I find it invalidating and offensive. I would accept her saying she doesn't know who is telling the truth, but her implication that everybody's truth is equally valid seems to me a free pass to sociopaths. Whatever they do, the can neutralise it by accusing their victim of something equally bad.
A television discussion show here (in New Zealand), used to have the slogan 'there are two sides to every story'. That used to annoy me for the same reason. Some of the stories featured were sadistic crimes. Of course, during a legal trial the accused has to have the right to be heard, but it doesn't mean that they necessarily have a valid 'side'. That is something to be evaluated.
Is this something that annoys other people here?
A distant in-law relative of mine, estranged from the family, and whom I have never met, claims she was sexually abused by her father, who denies it. My sister-in-law, every time the topic comes up, breezily says 'the truth is probably somewhere in the middle'. It seems to be a catch-phrase of hers, and I find it invalidating and offensive. I would accept her saying she doesn't know who is telling the truth, but her implication that everybody's truth is equally valid seems to me a free pass to sociopaths. Whatever they do, the can neutralise it by accusing their victim of something equally bad.
A television discussion show here (in New Zealand), used to have the slogan 'there are two sides to every story'. That used to annoy me for the same reason. Some of the stories featured were sadistic crimes. Of course, during a legal trial the accused has to have the right to be heard, but it doesn't mean that they necessarily have a valid 'side'. That is something to be evaluated.
Is this something that annoys other people here?
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