It’s not really beliefs, it’s making them question reality, their memory, their reasons for doing things.
Comment on Do you ever worry that you're secretly a psychopath that unknowingly manipulates people around you?
Marighost@lemm.ee 7 months agoGaslighting is the process of making someone question their own beliefs. It’s usually seen in the context of abusive relationships, but any person can gaslight any other person in whatever context (i.e., politics, etc).
GBU_28@lemm.ee 7 months ago
snooggums@midwest.social 7 months ago
Plus with the context of malicious intent and lying.
Getting a racist to question their racist beliefs isn’t gaslighting, but would fit the vague definition of getting someone to question their reality, their memory, and their reason for doing things when they have fallen into racist dogma.
BlemboTheThird@lemmy.ca 7 months ago
No, that is exactly the over-broad, willy-nilly, tossed-around definition they were talking about. Gaslighting has a much more insidious context than simply making someone question themselves. It means doing it on purpose; intentionally lying to someone and trying to convince them that they’re crazy. Like if I said I was going to the grocery and then when I came back with nothing, I insisted I never said that. Or if i borrowed $50 and when it came time to pay you back, I try to tell you I only borrowed $25. It’s inherently deceptive and cruel.