The Power of Remembering Atrocities
“Atrocities, however, refuse to be buried. Remembering and telling the truth about terrible events are prerequisites both for the restoration of the social order and for the healing of individual victims.” — Judith Lewis Herman
Judith Lewis Herman’s quote underscores the inseparable link between collective memory and personal recovery in the aftermath of extreme trauma. In this formulation, silence becomes not solace but complicity. When societies and survivors suppress memories of atrocity, they inadvertently prolong the very wounds they seek to close.
At the societal level, unacknowledged atrocities corrode the foundations of social trust. Laws and norms rest upon a shared belief in justice and accountability; when grave abuses are swept under the carpet, the implicit social contract is violated. Citizens lose faith in institutions that deny or minimize suffering, and perpetrators escape meaningful sanction. In contrast, truth-telling mechanisms, such as truth commissions, public inquiries, and memorialization projects, signal collective commitment to moral clarity. By documenting abuses and naming responsibilities, societies revalidate the rule of law. They also create a public archive that both dignifies victims’ experiences and educates future generations, reducing the risk of repetition.
For individual survivors, the refusal of atrocities to remain buried manifests in intrusive memories, nightmares, and a pervasive sense of betrayal. Trauma’s physiological imprint, hyperarousal, dissociation, somatic tension, often persists precisely because the event remains shrouded in silence or distortion. Telling the truth, then, functions as a form of somatic discharge and cognitive integration. Testimonial therapies and narrative reconstruction allow survivors to transform fragmented, overwhelming recollections into coherent life stories. In articulating the unspeakable, individuals reclaim authority over their own histories, breaking the isolation that is central to post-traumatic suffering.
Moreover, truth-telling elicits critical relational responses. When communities bear witness through listening circles, restorative justice forums, or memorial ceremonies, they offer survivors acknowledgement and validation. This social acknowledgment interrupts shame and self-blame, replacing them with collective solidarity. The external affirmation of suffering as both real and unjust promotes the restoration of personal dignity, a cornerstone of healing.
Yet the process is neither quick nor painless. Confronting atrocity demands moral courage from witnesses and survivors alike; it entails exposing deep wounds to public scrutiny. Ethical frameworks for truth-telling must therefore ensure safety, consent, and non-revictimization, hence balancing transparency with compassionate care.
In summary, Herman’s dictum compels us to recognize that neither social order nor individual well-being can flourish in the absence of truth. By refusing to bury atrocities and instead remembering and truthfully narrating, the full extent of human harm, societies reforge their moral fabric, and survivors move from the shadows of silence into the light of recognition and healing.
Adedeji Odusanya
Odusanya Adedeji A., is a Licensed & Certified Clinical Psychologist whose domain of expertise cuts across management of specific mental health issues such as, Depression, PTSD, Anxiety & Anxiety related disorders, Substance Use Disorder, etc
