Here is a translation of a passage by the renowned Bert Hellinger, in which I have deliberately replaced the term “black sheep” with “scapegoat.” While I am confident that the original expression carried no racist connotations on the part of the author, this adjustment serves as a symbolic example of how a scapegoat can challenge and disrupt the status quo.
“The So-called ‘scapegoat’ of the family are, in fact, seekers of liberation roads for the family tree. Those members of the tree who do not adapt to the rules or traditions of the family system, those who were constantly seeking to revolutionize beliefs, going in contrast to roads marked by family traditions, those criticized, tried and even rejected, those, by General, they are called to release the tree of repetitive stories that frustrate entire generations.
The ‘scapegoat’, those who do not adapt, those who scream rebel, repair, detoxify and create a new and blooming branch… countless unfulfilled desires, unfulfilled dreams, frustrated talents of our ancestors manifest themselves in their rebellion looking to take place .
The family tree, by inertia, will want to continue to maintain the castrating and toxic course of its trunk, which makes its task difficult and conflicting… that no one makes you doubt, take care of your ‘rarity’ as the most precious flower of Your Tree. You are the dream of all your ancestors” ~ Bert Hellinger
Like my parents before me, I have always felt like the scapegoat in my family—the one who speaks aloud the truths everyone else avoids. I am the one who illuminates the hidden, unspoken realities and digs up buried skeletons. It is a lonely and painful role, often met with rejection and accusations of causing trouble simply by being true to oneself.
But the era of burning at the stake is behind us. It is time to shake the anthill of collective complacency. To awaken from the slumber of consumerism, individualism, and ignorance that have long blinded us. The American Dream—a seductive promise that all is owed to us—has lulled generations into decadence, driving us to the brink of collapse. This disillusionment places a heavy burden on my generation and, even more so, on the ones that follow. We are tasked with awakening from destructive patterns that separate us from our natural, interconnected essence.
The evidence of our crisis is everywhere: dwindling resources, multiplying conflicts, widening inequalities, and the relentless destruction of the natural world. We stand at the precipice of a void—a moment that forces us to pause, reflect, and confront the paths we have lost. In this moment, we must look back, rediscovering the treasures and wisdom of our ancestors to build a bridge toward a more sustainable, harmonious future.
This is the call for us—the rebels, the outcasts, the scapegoats—to unite. We must break the toxic cycles of the past, shift collective trends, and weave a new vision of humanity that transcends individual and familial boundaries.
True healing begins with oneself but cannot stop there. The deeper work lies in addressing the systemic and collective wounds that bind us all. A therapeutic approach that ignores humanity’s destructive collective patterns and our rupture with the natural world will fail to deliver meaningful transformation. Such work perpetuates the very separation and blindness we aim to heal.
We have lost our way. Until we remember where we come from and return to our true nature, no lasting well-being or harmony will be possible. Healing calls us to reconnect with our roots, to reestablish humanity’s rightful place on Earth, and to rekindle our bond with the Living. Only by doing so can we find the strength to create a world where the wisdom of our ancestors merges with the hopes of our descendants—a world that thrives in balance and unity.
