Let’s take a look at the exact meaning of gas lighting and see what examples of gas lighting you can find around you. We’re also going to do a self-diagnostic test. The term “gas lighting” comes up often in the media these days. In fact, gas lighting has so many different terms that it is difficult to clearly define and distinguish them. Like, for example, expressive terms such as “psychological domination” and “emotional abuse”. Today, we are going to understand exactly the meaning of this gas lighting and point out its use.
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gas lighting meaning
Gaslighting is an action that undermines his autonomy by controlling others for his own benefit and manipulating the minds of others. The victim increases their self-doubt and their self-confidence decreases. It looks like psychological abuse. Abuse here is merely an expression, not abuse that calls for legal responsibility. Moreover, unlike the general violence we think of, it is an important characteristic of gas lighting that it starts from intimacy and then inflicts skillfully, not from direct conflict.
1. Gas Lighting Etymology
Play <Gaslight>
Play <Gaslight>
Gaslighting is derived from the 1938 play Gaslight.
To tell you a little bit about his story, the main character, Jack, oppresses his wife Bella. Jack deliberately dims the gas lights and gives her wife a pint glass whenever she says it’s dark, telling her that you’ve seen it wrong, distrusting herself, blame herself and relying solely on the perpetrator. It cleverly manipulates the surrounding environment and sounds to the point of losing a sense of reality.
American psychoanalytic psychotherapist Robin Stern coined the term Gaslighting after seeing the movie Gaslight and citing the title, and it became widely known as a term for certain types of mental abuse.
2. Features
gas lighting example
Gaslighting example
Hierarchy plays an important role.
Gaslighting perpetrators are often said to have an advantage over their victims. Victims are absolutely listened to because of their desire to be recognized and loved by the perpetrator, and are gaslighted unknowingly. For this reason, gas lighting often occurs in organizations such as the military or company, where there is a clear hierarchical relationship, or in traditional marital relationships in which men have a relatively superior position.
Use the other person’s anxiety and brainwash them.
They continue to emotionally abuse the victim, making them feel that their judgment is low. Brainwashing that one’s own words are unconditionally correct and the other’s words are unconditionally wrong. It’s taking advantage of the other person’s anxiety. It is brainwashing that makes the victim dependent on the perpetrator. Most of the brainwashing is done unconsciously, so it is difficult for the victim to notice that he or she is easily brainwashed. It is also one of the scam methods. Aside from financial gain, there are cases where the lack of affection increases the desire to be loved and brainwashes the other person.
Invisible from outside
If the other person makes a mistake in speech, he or she expands the interpretation, criticizes him greatly, kills his spirit, does not praise him for his good deeds, and treats him with coercion. The sad thing is that it never appears that way from the outside. It can never be understood from the outside. This type is commonly seen among parents and children.
When the perpetrator’s actions are unintentional
In reality, in everyday life, even the perpetrators themselves are far more unaware that what they have done is gaslighting. In this case, it really hurts. These cases are cases of mental abuse without intention or malicious intent, and this is the most common situation than you might think. Because perpetrators rationalize what they say, “I deserve it. I said the right thing.”
Gas lighting self-diagnostic test
You can find out if you are a victim of gas lighting with a self-diagnostic test.
Gaslighting Victim Self-Assessment Test
If someone is gaslighting you, you can use this phrase often.
I looked up the meaning of gas lighting, and because of the image of mental domination and psychological domination, it is commonly known as a psychological term. It’s not really a well-defined concept either academically or psychologically. It is said that mental and psychological domination is difficult to prove by law and difficult to punish. Finally, if you think you are gaslighting, you have to distance yourself from that person, restore your self-esteem, and look at your life objectively with goals, standards, and philosophy. In addition, I think that some preventive or protective measures for gas lighting should be prepared institutionally.