221 upvotes, 8 direct replies (showing 8)
Came here to say this. People often use it inappropriately because they don't understand the clinical definition.
Edit: by clinical, I meant the definition used by clinical psychologists eho treat abuse victims. However, someone pointed out that there is no clinical vs. colloquial definition. There is just one definition that people don't understand.
Comment by TiempoPuntoCinco at 16/12/2021 at 02:42 UTC
41 upvotes, 4 direct replies
Clinical?
Comment by RedPill115 at 16/12/2021 at 05:10 UTC
10 upvotes, 1 direct replies
This is...exactly how people use it.
Source: APA definition
gaslight: to manipulate another person into doubting his or her perceptions, experiences, or understanding of events. The term once referred to manipulation so extreme as to induce mental illness or to justify commitment of the gaslighted person to a psychiatric institution but is now used more generally.
Comment by Luxpreliator at 16/12/2021 at 04:09 UTC
21 upvotes, 2 direct replies
That and how people use passive aggressive inappropriately are my pet peeves that bothers me more than it should. Using the wrong their/there doesn't. Loading the dishwasher wrong doesn't upset me.
Comment by zeroscout at 16/12/2021 at 04:53 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Wouldn't gaslighting need to be in the DSM for it to have a clinical definition?
Comment by Capathy at 16/12/2021 at 04:47 UTC
-2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
No, the colloquial definition is definitely just as a synonym for lying. When enough people use a term improperly, the way they use it becomes a valid definition. I *hate* it in this case, but I don’t see us coming back from it.
Comment by [deleted] at 16/12/2021 at 08:39 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
So it’s just coercive speech?
Comment by Chinaroos at 16/12/2021 at 09:11 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I can't count the number of times when "you're gaslighting me!!!" was actually "you're telling me things I don't want to hear."
Comment by [deleted] at 16/12/2021 at 13:47 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Understand the clinical definition, or even just watch the darn movie. I’m sure 10% of the people using the expression haven’t even considered watching it.