This was originally from Psychology Today by Stephanie A. Sarkis Ph.D. but I immediately recognized how this is wholly applicable to the climate debate. h/t to Joe Bast.
11 Warning Signs of Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a manipulation tactic used to gain power. And it works too well.
1. They tell blatant lies.
You know it’s an outright lie. Yet they are telling you this lie with a straight face. Why are they so blatant? Because they’re setting up a precedent. Once they tell you a huge lie, you’re not sure if anything they say is true. Keeping you unsteady and off-kilter is the goal.
2. They deny they ever said something, even though you have proof.
You know they said they would do something; you know you heard it. But they out and out deny it. It makes you start questioning your reality—maybe they never said that thing. And the more they do this, the more you question your reality and start accepting theirs.
3. They use what is near and dear to you as ammunition.
They know how important your kids are to you, and they know how important your identity is to you. So those may be one of the first things they attack. If you have kids, they tell you that you should not have had those children. They will tell you’d be a worthy person if only you didn’t have a long list of negative traits. They attack the foundation of your being.
4. They wear you down over time.
This is one of the insidious things about gaslighting—it is done gradually, over time. A lie here, a lie there, a snide comment every so often…and then it starts ramping up. Even the brightest, most self-aware people can be sucked into gaslighting—it is that effective. It’s the “frog in the frying pan” analogy: The heat is turned up slowly, so the frog never realizes what’s happening to it.
5. Their actions do not match their words.
When dealing with a person or entity that gaslights, look at what they are doing rather than what they are saying. What they are saying means nothing; it is just talk. What they are doing is the issue.
6. They throw in positive reinforcement to confuse you.
This person or entity that is cutting you down, telling you that you don’t have value, is now praising you for something you did. This adds an additional sense of uneasiness. You think, “Well maybe they aren’t so bad.” Yes, they are. This is a calculated attempt to keep you off-kilter—and again, to question your reality. Also look at what you were praised for; it is probably something that served the gaslighter. article continues after advertisement
7. They know confusion weakens people.
Gaslighters know that people like having a sense of stability and normalcy. Their goal is to uproot this and make you constantly question everything. And humans’ natural tendency is to look to the person or entity that will help you feel more stable—and that happens to be the gaslighter.
8. They project.
They are a drug user or a cheater, yet they are constantly accusing you of that. This is done so often that you start trying to defend yourself, and are distracted from the gaslighter’s own behavior.
9. They try to align people against you.
Gaslighters are masters at manipulating and finding the people they know will stand by them no matter what—and they use these people against you. They will make comments such as, “This person knows that you’re not right,” or “This person knows you’re useless too.” Keep in mind it does not mean that these people actually said these things. A gaslighter is a constant liar. When the gaslighter uses this tactic it makes you feel like you don’t know who to trust or turn to—and that leads you right back to the gaslighter. And that’s exactly what they want: Isolation gives them more control.
10. They tell you or others that you are crazy.
This is one of the most effective tools of the gaslighter, because it’s dismissive. The gaslighter knows if they question your sanity, people will not believe you when you tell them the gaslighter is abusive or out-of-control. It’s a master technique.
11. They tell you everyone else is a liar.
By telling you that everyone else (your family, the media) is a liar, it again makes you question your reality. You’ve never known someone with the audacity to do this, so they must be telling the truth, right? No. It’s a manipulation technique. It makes people turn to the gaslighter for the “correct” information—which isn’t correct information at all
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
A lot of what I saw on the list could be called the tools used by sales people, depending on how you frame them. So if a salesman persuaded a customer to buy the latest product and abandon their old one, you might argue he’s just being a good salesman. It could be said that when desktop computers first came out a lot of people were sold a product they didn’t need, couldn’t use, were able to get by just fine without. Now you wouldn’t think of running a business without some degree of computer technology in place. If they hadn’t been tricked into buying them in the first place they would get stuck on a steep learning curve trying to modernize. Very fine line between persuasion and deception.
Russia is an enemy. The enemy. Publishing (sometimes silly) political ads is literally an act of war.
Selling controlling shares of an uranium extracting corporation to Russia was non controversial, non political, the consensus position, so obviously State Sec had nothing to do with such an inconsequential move.
There were two films called Gaslight, the first was Anton Walbroiok as the villiaan, it is a British film and very good. Then a few years later was the Hollywood version staring Charles Boyer and Ingred Bergman, and with a very young Angela Lansbury. in her first film as the maid.
The gaslight seen by Bergmn dimmed as Boyer was in the attic searching for the jewels of the previous owner who he had murdered.
The final scene where Bergman turns the tables on Boyer is brilliant.
VK5EL MJE
He wanted Bergman committ ed s he could continue searching for ther jewels.
o
Gas lighting must have a greenhouse gas content ban it!!
Just remember… you can’t gaslight a gaslighter!
Narcissism learn it know it. Avoid it.