10 Facts About Gaslighting

Gaslighting is a colloquialism, loosely defined as manipulating someone so as to make them question their own reality.

Gaslighting is not necessarily malicious or intentional, although in some cases it is.

Gaslighting was largely an obscure or esoteric term until the mid-2010s, when it broadly seeped into English lexicon.

Gaslighting is a term used in self-help and amateur psychology to describe a dynamic that can occur in personal relationships and in workplace relationships.

Gaslighting involves two parties; the "gaslighter", who persistently puts forth a false narrative, and the "gaslighted", who struggles to maintain their individual autonomy.

Gaslighting is different from genuine relationship disagreement, which is both common and important in relationships.

Gaslighting typically occurs over a long duration and not on a one-off basis.

Gaslighting is a way to control the moment, stop conflict, ease anxiety, and feel in control.

Gaslighting is more likely to be effective when the gaslighter has a position of power.

Gaslighting comes directly from blending modern communications, marketing, and advertising techniques with long-standing methods of propaganda.