How To Identify a Masterful Gaslighter
5 signs that will help you see right through their facade.
When British playwright Patrick Hamilton wrote a mystery thriller called Gas Light in 1938, little did he know that the term “gaslighting” would enter the world of psychology and academic discourse, and be used for years and years to come.
By now, most of you are familiar with the psychological term “gaslighting”. For those who aren’t, gaslighting constitutes a form of emotional abuse and is a common technique used by abusers to manipulate and gain control over their victims by making them question their sense of reality and their sanity.
Psychology Today defines gaslighting as:
“Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims of gaslighting are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true, often about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, their perception, and even their sanity.”
The problem with gaslighting is that it can be difficult to identify, because:
a) most behaviors/phrases that constitute gaslighting are nowadays normalized
b) victims of gaslighting often close their eyes to their abuse and justify their…
