In my work studying and assessing situations of abuse in Christian environments, I’ve come across a number of instances in which a survivor recalled sensing early on that “something was off” about the leader who later caused them harm. One of those common cues are odd expressions of self-promotion offered by the leader. When first encountered, these statements of self-flattery seem relatively harmless to others, like white lies, and are therefore largely ignored, but are nonetheless raised as pink flags: significant enough to sow an inner caution but not significant enough to sound an external alarm.
When White Lies are Pink Flags
When White Lies are Pink Flags
When White Lies are Pink Flags
In my work studying and assessing situations of abuse in Christian environments, I’ve come across a number of instances in which a survivor recalled sensing early on that “something was off” about the leader who later caused them harm. One of those common cues are odd expressions of self-promotion offered by the leader. When first encountered, these statements of self-flattery seem relatively harmless to others, like white lies, and are therefore largely ignored, but are nonetheless raised as pink flags: significant enough to sow an inner caution but not significant enough to sound an external alarm.