Talk:Gaslighting

When the term gained popularity ...
While the article does mention the 1938 play, it seems to state that the term was established by the 1944 film, but it is used in Preston Sturges' 1941 film "The Lady Eve" in a way that seems to indicate it was already an established term by then. Fisk0 (talk) 10:50, 24 September 2023 (UTC)

This page greatly downplays the significance of Gaslighting ...

... also ... page developer may find this timeline to be of interest ...

Post-Film Recognition (1940s-1950s): The film "Gaslight" was a commercial success and received critical acclaim, including several Academy Awards. As a result, it brought attention to the manipulation tactics used by the husband to deceive his wife. People who saw the film began to discuss the concept of making someone doubt their sanity or perception.

Psychology and Popular Culture (1960s-1970s): The concept of gaslighting started to appear in psychology literature and self-help books. Psychologists and therapists recognized it as a form of emotional abuse and manipulation, and it was discussed in the context of abusive relationships.

Feminist Movement (1970s): The feminist movement of the 1970s played a significant role in popularizing the term "gaslighting." Feminist literature and activists highlighted how gaslighting tactics were often used by men to control and manipulate women in relationships. This contributed to the term's visibility.

Broadened Usage (1980s-Present): Over time, the term expanded beyond its original context of abusive relationships and began to be used more broadly to describe any situation in which one person attempts to manipulate or deceive another person into doubting their own perception or reality. This broader usage has persisted into the present day.

Internet and Pop Culture (2000s-Present): With the rise of the internet and social media, terms and concepts spread rapidly. "Gaslighting" gained even more prominence as it became a common topic in discussions about relationships, psychology, and politics. It is frequently mentioned in online articles, forums, and social media discussions.

Today, "gaslighting" is widely recognized and used to describe various forms of psychological manipulation and emotional abuse in personal relationships, as well as in political and social contexts. Its evolution from a film title to a common expression illustrates how language can adapt and expand over time to describe complex psychological phenomena and social behaviors. 2601:19E:4181:5460:DD62:A7ED:6626:247B (talk) 16:31, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia is not a forum. Your anecdotal opinion "essay" about the history of the term is of no use or interest here; we only care about what reliable sources have to say on the matter.  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ 😼  19:54, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Do you have sources for all of that information? Wikipedia can only cite anecdotal opinion essays from reliable sources. 162.246.139.210 (talk) 17:47, 4 January 2024 (UTC)
 * Sources [1][17] should show you that gas-lighting is NOT "widely recognized". It is a term from fiction. Outside of fiction it is usually impossible to determine whether one person is tricking another or if two people simply have different perceptions. That alone casts a lot of double at "gas-lighting". The term insinuates malicious intent that is often impossible to prove and in most cases assumed without any evidence. 2001:A61:12F1:CF01:F5A5:C501:A3C7:1558 (talk) 00:50, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Ambiguous choice of words that seriously alters the meaning of the information that is in the source
"minimize the serious health effects" from "This increased global awareness of the dangers of gaslighting has not been met with enthusiasm by all psychologists, some of whom have issued warnings that overuse of the term could weaken its meaning and minimize the serious health effects of such abuse" under "in psychiatry and psychology" is a very ambiguous choice of words.

The referenced source contains the following.. "However, some psychologists are not encouraged by this increased international awareness of the dangers of gaslighting, warning that overuse of the term could dilute its potency and downplay the serious health consequences – like PTSD and depression – of such abuse."

"minimize" here didn't make sense to me without reading the source, reading it as if "it somehow changes the health effects", whereas the source means "downplaying the health effects", thus trivializing not "minimizing". Ybllaw (talk) 19:27, 30 May 2024 (UTC)


 * This is the referenced source.. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2018-shortlist/ Ybllaw (talk) 19:27, 30 May 2024 (UTC)