False Equivalency

A distortion that treats unequal things as equal to protect power or confuse moral clarity.
• You’re told boundary-setting is the same as rebellion, pride, or hatred.
• You see serious harm reframed as “just a mistake” like any minor conflict.
• You’re encouraged to judge victims and perpetrators as equally responsible.

Potential clinical implications (especially in high control settings)

• Self-doubt about what constitutes harm (“Maybe I’m overreacting”).
• Delayed help-seeking and impaired risk assessment.
• Moral injury when reality is repeatedly re-labeled to protect authority.