MovieChat Forums > Gaslight (1944) Discussion > the term 'gaslight'

the term 'gaslight'

posted 16 years ago by spellbound81
47 replies | jump to latest

anyone have any comment on the term 'gaslight'? anyone have any experiences with someone trying to create paranoia in your life or someone elses?

[–] Druff (1457) 4 years ago

My boss: "Remember when we went over this deal?"

The answer is always yes, I remember the general discussion.

My boss: "And I said this and this and that and the other?"

This is when he starts throwing in stuff that absolutely did not happen. I don't know if he honestly believes he said these things or merely wishes he did, or what. I usually have explicit notes taken during the conversation that more or less prove he's full of shit. Of course he simply falls back on, "Well, you didn't get everything in your notes!" I assume he must have had people in this life who fall for it and thinks it will work on everyone.

[–] TheArgentinian (6457) 4 years ago

12 years later after this thread was created and now gaslight has become part of the common lexicon.

[–] ODB82 (2055) 4 years ago

I had only heard the term this year.

[–] AmeriGirl26 (12366) 4 years ago

To be honest, that term has become over-used in the past 5 years. I hear it a lot from genuine schizophrenia patients, some of whom, came from abusive homes. Non-schizophrenics (notably those who have never actually been gaslighted and wanta play the victim angle against someone else) use it as a substitute word for "mental abuse," rather than for its true meaning. But I will tell you that it's difficult to gaslight someone who has a sharp mind and a long memory, particularly if they know someone's trying to mess with them, and recognize the signs.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

It has not become overused, because gaslighting has literally become a normal form of interaction for Americans, to the point of becoming epidemic. I had to start blocking phone numbers and cutting off relations with neighbors because of this problem, because it was so exhausting having to deal with people playing head games to get what they want. The worst is when gaslighters ask you for something, you say, "no," and then they start head gaming you to "confuse" you into getting something that you point blank had denied them.

And your comments about schizophrenics being "genuine" as opposed to non-schizophrenics makes no sense. Schizophrenics suffer from delusions of persecution, as well as paranoid feelings of being conspired against. They're literally the last people on earth who are reliable when it comes to claims of having gaslit. Nor does being gaslit have anything to do with schizophrenia, anyway.

[–] AmeriGirl26 (12366) 3 years ago

I have friends who genuinely have schizophrenia, and they have the symptoms to prove it. One of them suffers from gaslighting all the time because either his foster mom is doing it, or he's doing it to himself, and he has to fight that every single day of his life with help from counselors. The other one hasn't gotten help yet, but she's working on it.

When I talk "non-schizophrenics" using the term "gaslighting," I'm talking about people who don't have a mental problem other than trying to stir up trouble and being professional victims. And if you want real gaslighting, you can always go over the politics boards. There is a ton of it over there.

[–] johnmiller (3373) 9 months ago

From the Oxford Dictionary:

manipulate (someone) using psychological methods into questioning their own sanity or powers of reasoning.

[–] Drusilla (503) 2 months ago

I cannot believe this site has been up for 16+ years. It seems like 2 years ago.