When Boundaries Blur, Power Still Exists
Sometimes closeness makes power harder to see.
I’ve noticed that blurred boundaries can make people feel responsible for situations they did not control.
A relationship may feel informal.
Supportive.
Friendly.
Personal.
But power does not disappear because the tone feels kind.
When someone holds access, information, decisions, or professional authority, the imbalance remains.
For Deaf and disabled people, this can be especially difficult.
Support can become personal.
Access can depend on goodwill.
Boundaries can become unclear.
Concerns can feel harder to name because the relationship no longer feels purely professional.
This is where harm can hide.
Not always through obvious control.
Sometimes through closeness.
Sometimes through dependence.
Sometimes through the pressure to stay grateful, agreeable, or quiet.
This is not trust.
It is blurred power.
Clear boundaries do not make care less human.
They make responsibility visible.
When boundaries blur, systems can avoid accountability by making harm feel personal instead of structural.
Power still exists, even when it is softened by familiarity.
