What is Gaslighting and How to Know if You’re Doing it

To manipulate by distortion…a short way to define gaslighting.

Gaslighting is a subtle yet harmful way of manipulating and controlling others. Gaslighters will make their victim doubt their own memory, judgment and even sanity. In simple terms, it’s an effective way of making someone believe that you’re right and they’re wrong, even if it isn’t the case.

People who gaslight distort reality to control other people’s actions so that their needs are met and the other person is put in a weaker position in a relationship. Gaslighting is also a form of power-tripping. What makes gaslighting worse is that if left unchecked, the manipulations can grow so complex and potent that the person on the receiving end may find it hard to recognize and get out of this toxic relationship.

Are you guilty of gaslighting?

Usually, we think of gaslighters as people who are strategically and consciously manipulating others, and many people do use gaslighting to intentionally take advantage of other people. It’s recognized as a form of intentional emotional abuse.

But there are also cases where gaslighters act in a way that makes people question their version of reality that affects their self-esteem and disempowers them, even if it wasn’t the intention…