21 December 2021

Gaslighting

In the 1944 film Gas Light, a husband turns on and off gaslights at night. When she brings it up in the morning, he tells her he didn’t experience the flickering gaslights. The malicious husband continues this charade until she loses her mind, so he can commit her to an insane asylum and pocket her inheritance.

Gaslighting makes someone question their reality. This misinformation tactic occurs in work, family, and politics and spans all levels, from personal relationships to societal deception. Victims of gaslighting feel anxious, self-conscious, confused, and isolated until they break down and accept another’s version of reality.