Gaslighting is an abusive form of psychological manipulation that occurs in relationships. When someone is gaslighting you, they exert power over you and make you think you’ve lost your ability to think, remember, and rationalize. Here’s how to spot it if your partner is gaslighting you.
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- Gaslighting is a psychologically abusive form of manipulation that occurs in dating and relationships.
- When someone is gaslighting you, they exert power over you and make you think you’ve lost your ability to think, remember, and rationalize.
- There are several key signs to watch out for — here’s how to spot it if your partner is gaslighting you.
There are so many dating terms these days, it’s hard to keep up. Some may be more popular than others, such as ghosting — disappearing on the person you’re seeing without a trace — while others may be more dangerous. Gaslighting falls into the latter category, since it’s a manipulative tool some people use in their romantic relationships.
“Gaslighting is a psychological tactic used to make another person believe they are losing their mind,” Joshua Klapow, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and host of “The Kurre and Klapow Show,” told Business Insider. “It is literally a manipulative attempt at making another person think they are losing their ability to think, remember, and be rational.”
According to Vox, the term “gaslighting” became popular with the 1944 movie “Gaslight,” which was based on the 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton. In the psychological thriller, a husband, Gregory (Charles Boyer) “gaslights” his wife, Paula (Ingrid Bergman).
Throughout the movie, she questions her sanity, and her husband convinces her she’s acting strange. For example, when Paula notices that the gaslights in the home have been dimmed, Gregory lies and tells her she’s imagining things, which makes her believe she’s going crazy.
Here are some signs of gaslighting to watch out for.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider