The Scapegoat

The Decoded | October 2025 | By Lisanne

31.10

In every relationship, there’s someone who carries the tension.

In some relationships, that role is the scapegoat.

The scapegoat becomes the container for the partner’s frustration. They absorb the blame — the stories that keep the pattern alive.

When the scapegoat leaves or stops playing their part, the other doesn’t know what to do. The blame has nowhere to land. The anger has no outlet.

And suddenly, the partner has to face what they’ve been avoiding all this time;

It was easier to find a scapegoat than to sit with the discomfort.

But no relationship flourishes until someone refuses to play the part. 

The part that wasn’t theirs to begin with.

Meaningful change starts when one person says, “I’m done holding your anger.”

Thank you for reading! The journal prompt of today:

“What truth would free you from what isn’t yours?”

Please let me know in the comments.