
To gaslight meaning movie#
The verb gaslight comes from the 1938 play Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton, which also had two 1940s movie adaptations. Both gaslighted and gaslit are used as the past tense of gaslight. The word gaslighting (referring to the act or practice) comes from the verb gaslight. In addition to its narrow use in reference to a specific pattern of manipulative and deceitful behavior, gaslighting is also sometimes used more broadly to refer to other different forms of deception, including propaganda, disinformation, and even basic lying.Įxample: It can be hard to believe how people can fall prey to such deception, but gaslighting has a very powerful effect. According to mental health professionals, those targeted with gaslighting may experience lowered emotional intelligence and self-esteem due to frequently second-guessing their own judgment and sanity. When the deception of the person who is engaging in gaslighting is questioned, they often react by dismissing the accusation as a delusion, an emotional reaction, or an overreaction-thus conditioning the person to internalize those assessments. It is also sometimes used in reference to manipulative deception in other contexts, such as by politicians. The term gaslighting is often applied in the context of emotionally abusive relationships, such as romantic relationships or among family members. The verb form is gaslight, as in Don’t try to gaslight me-I have proof of what you’ve done! It’s considered a form of psychological manipulation or emotional abuse.



Gaslighting is the act of distorting the truth in a way that’s intended to make another person accept the deception due to doubting their own memory, reality, or sanity.
