In all these statements—as smooth and charming as they seem—notice there is no admission of guilt or wrongdoing. On the contrary, Saruman does something else abusive leaders do: he portrays himself as the real victim. He flips the script, making himself out to be the grieved party: “Despite the injuries that have been done to me, in which the men of Rohan, alas! have had some part, still I would save you.”24 And when he talks to Gandalf, he doesn’t confess his own sins but instead points out Gandalf’s sins: “You are proud and do not love advice.”25 In other words, it’s everyone else’s fault.
