Charles Boyer in Gaslight
The term “gaslighting,” meaning the practice of manipulating or deceiving someone, has become a popular word in this age of misinformation. The expression originates from the 1944 film Gaslight, based on a 1934 play by the same name, in which a husband manipulates his wife into thinking she’s going mad by insisting she is imagining things.
Gaslighting is defined as a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or group attempts to make someone question their own memories, perception of reality, or even their sanity. The colloquialism is used to describe similar tactics in various contexts including relationships, politics, and workplace dynamics.
Gaslighting was largely an obscure or esoteric word until the mid-2010s, when it began to seep into everyday speech during the Obama years. As an example, folks were accused of being racist just because they disagreed with an Obama policy. The art of gaslighting gained momentum, particularly on social media and sensationalized news outlets, undermining our basic trust in government and the media. For instance, we were told over and over again that the COVID vaccine was “safe and effective” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The New York Post states, “Liberals were outraged by former President Donald Trump’s tall tales about crowd size and ‘fake news,’ but when it comes to controlling the culture, Trump is an amateur in the gaslighting business compared with them.” Even USA Today admits, “Democrats chose to manipulate Americans with a specific type of deceit: Make voters doubt reality.” The most outrageous claim being that a man can be a woman, when we can see the differences with our own eyes.
Gaslighting the American public became such a regular occurrence during the Biden administration that it was chosen as Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year in 2022. Even Biden’s farewell address was full of falsehoods, projections, and outright lies. In his latest example, he blamed the Los Angeles fires on “climate change” instead of California Democrat leaders’ total mismanagement (brush not cleared, dry fire hydrants, empty reservoirs, fire trucks in disrepair, delayed response time).
Gaslighting is often done by denying facts, withholding information, making a person doubt their own experiences, and persistently lying or distorting the truth. The offender often projects their own behavior onto the victim by accusing the victim of the very behavior that they themselves are guilty of, in order to deflect blame onto the victim.
12 Examples of Gaslighting:
- “It’s all in your head. There’s nothing wrong with you.” (Dismissing your symptoms.)
- “I can’t believe you’re making such a big deal about nothing.” (Brushing off concerns.)
- “I didn’t say that! You must have misunderstood.” (Lying to you.)
- “You wouldn’t understand this; it’s too complicated for someone like you.” (Downplaying your intelligence.)
- “Don’t tell me how to do my job. I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you have.” (Belittling your qualifications.)
- “Everyone else does it. You’re the only one who thinks differently.” (Invalidating your views.)
- “You’re too sensitive. Stop making mountains out of molehills.” (Minimizing your concerns.)
- “I wouldn’t get so angry if you didn’t provoke me all the time.” (Blaming you.)
- “That never happened. You’re just making things up to create drama.” (Denying fault.)
- “Your friends don’t have your best interests at heart. You’re better off without them.” (Isolating you.)
- “Are you trying to manipulate me?” (Projection.)
- “I’m the nicest guy in town and this is how you treat me?” (Demeaning you while boosting their own ego.)
Any of those sound familiar? Gaslighting is more common than you might think!
Gaslighting, especially in a personal relationship, is considered a form of psychological abuse. It’s a serious and harmful behavior that can have long-lasting effects on the victim’s mental and emotional well-being. It often leads to feelings of confusion, self-doubt, and a sense of isolation, as their reality is continually put in question.
Ingrid Bergman and Angela Lansbury in Gaslight
The thing that bugs me, though, is when people say that the husband in the Gaslight movie deliberately dimmed the gaslights in their home to drive his wife nuts. Did any of these people even watch the movie??? They make it sound like it was all about the gaslights, but it wasn’t really! He didn’t even purposely dim the lights, they simply got dimmer when he’d secretly go sneaking around in the attic. When he turned the lights on up there, it diverted the gas from other rooms in the house.
But yes, other than that, the Gaslight movie is all about deception and manipulation. It’s an excellent psychological thriller, filmed in classic black-and-white. The plot centers around Paula Alquist (played by Ingrid Bergman) and her husband Gregory (played by Charles Boyer). It also features a young Angela Lansbury in her film debut, as the maid.
When Paula begins to experience strange occurrences such as losing items, hearing noises from the attic, and the lights dimming for no apparent reason, Gregory insists these events are all in her imagination. As the story progresses, Gregory’s manipulative tactics intensify, leading Paula to question her own memories and sanity.
Gaslight is a great example of American film noir and a masterful exploration of psychological manipulation. Ingrid Bergman’s performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, and the film remains a seminal work in the thriller genre, not to mention its lasting impact on popular culture. It’s definitely worth a watch!
Watch Gaslight on Amazon Prime | Buy the DVD | Buy the Blu-Ray
