There are many forms of psychological manipulation. Today we will talk about Gaslighting.
Psychologists use the term Gaslighting to describe the tactics that certain types of people use when they try to manipulate their victims into thinking they are going crazy.
Where did the term gaslighting come from?
The term Gaslighting comes from the movie Gaslighting, made in the 1940s, in which a husband tries to convince his wife that she is going crazy because he wants to inherit her money. He manipulates small factors in their surroundings and when the wife points out these changes he denies them, saying instead that she is in the wrong, in an attempt to make her believe she is going mad.
However, the wife begins to notice that the gas lights used to light her home dim noticeably when the husband is not around. This is what the husband finally shows the manipulator that he really is. This is why gaslighting is now a commonly used term for manipulating someone’s reality.
What does it mean to be “gas-lit”?
A gaslight is where a person, usually someone close to you, tells you a lie to make you question your sanity or reality. They won’t just lie to you, however, to make you unsure of yourself. They will give you false information so that you will blame yourself for the other person’s actions.
Small and rather insignificant, these lies will start to get used to their deception tactics. Then these psychological manipulation tactics will progress into bigger and bigger lies.
Who can be gaslighted?
Unfortunately, studies have shown that anyone can be gassed in the right circumstances. Humans are incredibly trustworthy. It is in our nature to believe what other people say and do.
Furthermore, we have a natural tendency to want to believe in our loved ones. This can make us incredibly vulnerable to deception and cruel tactics. Even highly educated and sane people were highlighted. This is because instead of holding someone accountable, we tend to blame ourselves.
How do you know if someone is gaslighting you?
Since this type of psychological manipulation usually starts very slowly, it can be difficult to determine whether you are experiencing its effects.
However, there are signs that you are subject to this type of psychological manipulation.
You always feel bad around your partner or loved one.
You never know what mood your partner or loved one will be in the next time you see them, and it makes you anxious all the time.
You feel that something is not right in your life but you don’t know what.
You often feel confused and confused but don’t know why.
You are always apologizing to your partner or loved one in an effort to keep the peace.
You think you’re always to blame for things and that you’re not “good enough.”
You are trying to meet the demands of others on you, even though they may be unrealistically high.
You think you must be hypersensitive since you seem to be overreacting all the time.
You feel like you’ve lost your sparkle and self-confidence.
You have become afraid of speaking out because of what it might bring up in your partner or loved one.
Why do psychopaths use gaslighting to manipulate?
Psychopaths have many tools at their disposal, but gaslighting is a common weapon in their arsenal. If you think about the main goal of a psychopath in life, it is easy to see why he prefers this method over others.
Psychopaths want to completely control the other person and will use whatever tactics they can to achieve this. They need control and the advantage in order to get the upper hand, and what better way than with gaslighting?
Gaslighting undermines your confidence, makes you question your sanity, isolates you and makes you feel insecure and worthless. Mature choices for your average psychopath.
What to do if you think you’ve been gassed
If you think you may be getting gassed, there are things you can do.
Understand that the situation you are in is not your fault.
Go talk to a professional about what’s going on in your life to get an objective opinion.
Leave the situation with the help of close friends and relatives.
Moving forward, if you find that you are constantly attracting people who seek to use psychological manipulation on you in some way, it might be a good time to look into why that is.
In Gaslight, the young woman is seduced by the older man who then marries her and keeps trying to make her go crazy. But a woman is so eager to seduce that she finds it very difficult to believe that her husband is capable of such despicable acts. She relies on her husband’s approval throughout the film and only accepts the gas lights dimming when another man, a policeman, tells her he’s seen her dimming too.
Those of us who are secure in our mental state are a tough crowd for psychopaths and usually turn to weaker prey.
