Say you realized they gaslighted you 2 days ago, so you asked for time to process the discussion. Now, you have to reconnect to address this.

  • NotAnotherLemmyUser@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Agreed. Traditionally, “gaslighting” is specific to cases where a manipulator tries to convince the other person that they are crazy over time. The end goal is to make the other person doubt their reality so much that they will only rely on the manipulator. Basically, it’s a conscious attempt to brainwash someone.

    This comes from a story where a “husband secretly dims and brightens the indoor gas-powered lighting but insists his wife is imagining it, making her think she is going insane.” All so that he can steal from her. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting#cite_note-8

    Unfortunately many today misuse this term to mean something closer to the definition of “lying” or when someone is trying hard to influence you…

    • elephantium@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Shit, gaslighting can simply mean ‘disagreeing’ nowadays. I can’t even remember how long it’s been since I’ve seen it used in the “proper” sense.