Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a colloquialism, loosely defined as manipulating someone into questioning their own perception of reality.[1][2] The expression, which derives from the title of the 1944 film Gaslight, became popular in the mid-2010s. Merriam-Webster cites deception of one's memory, perception of reality, or mental stability.[2] According to a 2022 Washington Post report, it had become a "trendy buzzword" frequently used to describe ordinary disagreements, rather than those situations that align with the word's historical definition.[3]
This article is about human behavior. For illumination derived from burning gas, see Gas lighting.
Gaslighting is a term used in self-help and amateur psychology to describe a dynamic that can occur in personal relationships (romantic or parental) and in workplace relationships.[12][13] Gaslighting involves two parties: the "gaslighter", who persistently puts forth a false narrative in order to manipulate, and the "gaslighted", who struggles to maintain their individual autonomy.[14][15] Gaslighting is typically effective only when there is an unequal power dynamic or when the gaslighted has shown respect to the gaslighter.[16]
Gaslighting is different from genuine relationship disagreement, which is both common and important in relationships. Gaslighting is distinct in that:
Gaslighting typically occurs over a long duration and not on a one-off basis.[3] Over time, the listening partner may exhibit symptoms often associated with anxiety disorders, depression, or low self-esteem. Gaslighting is distinct from genuine relationship conflict in that one party manipulates the perceptions of the other.[16]
Broader use[edit]
The word "gaslighting" is often used incorrectly to refer to conflicts and disagreements.[3][17][29] According to Robin Stern, PhD, co-founder of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, "Gaslighting is often used in an accusatory way when somebody may just be insistent on something, or somebody may be trying to influence you. That's not what gaslighting is."[17]
Some mental health experts have expressed concern that the broader use of the term is diluting its usefulness and may make it more difficult to identify the specific type of abuse described in the original definition.[11][3][29]
Gaslighting is more likely to be effective when the gaslighter has a position of power.[34]
In the 2008 book State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind, the authors contend that the prevalence of gaslighting in American politics began with the age of modern communications:[35]
The term has been used to describe the behavior of politicians and media personalities on both the left and the right sides of the political spectrum.[35] Some examples include:
In popular culture[edit]
One of the earliest uses of the term in television was in a 1952 episode of The Burns and Allen Show titled "Gracie Buying Boat for George".[40]
The word is used in a 1962 episode of Car 54, Where Are You? titled "What Happened to Thursday?".[40]
In the 1974 The Six Million Dollar Man second-season episode, "The Seven Million Dollar Man", Steve Austin accuses Oscar Goldman, Rudy Wells and nurse Carla Peterson of gaslighting him after all three try to convince him that an incident he saw did not happen.[41]
In 1994, the character Roz Doyle uses the phrase in "Fortysomething", an episode of the American television sitcom Frasier.[42]
In a 2000 interview, the writers of the song "Gaslighting Abbie" (Steely Dan album Two Against Nature) explain that the lyrics were inspired by a term they heard in New York City, "gaslighting", which they believed was derived from the 1944 film Gaslight. "It is about a certain kind of mind [manipulation] or messing with somebody's head".[43]
During the period 2014–2016, BBC Radio 4's soap opera The Archers aired a two-year long storyline about Helen who was subjected to slow-burning coercive control by her bullying, manipulative husband, Rob.[44] The show shocked listeners, sparking a national discussion about domestic abuse.[45]
In the 2016 film The Girl on the Train, Rachel has severe depression and alcoholism. The storyline evolves around Rachel's blackouts as her husband consistently tells her that she has done terrible things that she did not actually do.[46]
In 2017, the phrase was used to describe Harvey Weinstein's extraordinary measures (see Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases § Weinstein's response) to discredit the women he sexually preyed upon, the journalists investigating their stories, and the public.[47]
In 2018, NBC's soap opera Days of Our Lives had a months-long storyline about retaliation and Gabi's systematic efforts to have her best friend Abigail committed into a mental health care facility. In the end, Gabi gleefully confessed to Abigail what she had done to her and why.[48]
In 2019, CNN's nightly news commentary, Anderson Cooper 360°, aired 24 episodes about the lies being told by politicians in the news. The segments were named "Keeping Them Honest: We'll Leave The Gaslight on for You, Part __".[16]
In 2020, country music group the Chicks released a song titled "Gaslighter" about a manipulative husband.[49]
In 2022, the Starz miniseries Gaslit starring Julia Roberts and Sean Penn uses the term as its title to describe the themes of deception and abuse of power underlying the Watergate Scandal which ultimately brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon.
In 2022, Merriam-Webster named "gaslighting" as its Word of the Year due to the vast increase in channels and technologies used to mislead and the word becoming common for the perception of deception.[50]
The Gospel of Afranius, a praised atheistic Russian work originally self-published in 1995 that came out in English in 2022, proposes politically motivated gaslighting as the origin of the foundational Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus.[51]