Gaslighting

What Is Gaslighting?

Gaslighting is a type of psychological manipulation used to force someone to question his or her memories, observances, or mind. The word's root can be traced to an old play called "Gas Light" and its corresponding movie adaptation. There, a husband was portrayed as manipulating his wife into believing she was losing her mind by gradually denying that the gas lights were dimming throughout the home when his wife would point it out.

As a rule, a gaslighter will imply that the victim experienced something unlike what happened or came to mind herself/himself. Moreover, they will invalidate his/her/their concerns and call them not worthy of attention, and, eventually, they will make the victim feel guilty. In the long run, gaslighting can make the victim start to question their reality, become pessimistic and lose self-confidence in their own judgments, and also become highly dependent on the gaslighter to meet their emotional needs to feel validated and accepted.

Example Of Gaslighting

One instance of gaslighting is when a partner keeps the other from trusting their knowledge in an intimate relationship by consistently disregarding the facts. To elaborate, let us take up the case where Partner A addresses Partner B about the insensitive remark made during a disagreement. Instead of begging the commenter who asked them to do something, this guy denies he ever said any of it while pointing an accusatory finger at Partner A for being overly sensitive.

They may say, '"You didn't hear me right." They become defensive: "Wrongly me! Because you're so hasty to resort to conclusions." This habit may contribute to Partner A's tendency to doubt their judgment in due course and doubt themselves, as they start to question their thoughts and perceptions, which in the long run may make Partner A's self-esteem and emotional health decline.