Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment, often evoking in them cognitive dissonance and other changes, including low self-esteem. Using denial, misdirection, contradiction, and misinformation, gaslighting involves attempts to destabilize the victim and delegitimize the victim's beliefs. Instances can range from the denial by an abuser that previous abusive incidents occurred, to belittling the victim's emotions and feelings, to the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim.

The term originated from the British play Gas Light (1938), performed as Angel Street in the United States, and its 1940 and 1944 film adaptations (both titled Gaslight). The term has now been used in clinical psychological literature,[1][2] as well as in political commentary and philosophy.
The term "gaslighting" has been used colloquially since the 1960s[7] to describe efforts to manipulate someone's perception of reality. The term has been used to describe such behaviour in psychoanalytic literature since the 1970s.[8] In a 1980 book on child sexual abuse, Florence Rush summarized George Cukor's Gaslight (1944) based on the play and wrote, "even today the word [gaslighting] is used to describe an attempt to destroy another's perception of reality.
Columnist Maureen Dowd was one of the first to use the term in the political context.[30][31] She described the Bill Clinton administration's use of the technique in subjecting Newt Gingrich to small indignities intended to provoke him to make public complaints that "came across as hysterical".[31][32]

In his 2008 book State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind, psychologist Bryant Welch described the prevalence of the technique in American politics beginning in the age of modern communications, stating:

To say gaslighting was started by the Bushes, Lee Atwater, Karl Rove, Fox News, or any other extant group is not simply wrong, it also misses an important point. Gaslighting comes directly from blending modern communications, marketing, and advertising techniques with long-standing methods of propaganda. They were simply waiting to be discovered by those with sufficient ambition and psychological makeup to use them.[33]

Journalist Frida Ghitis used the term "gaslighting" to describe Russia's global relations. While Russian operatives were active in Crimea, Russian officials continually denied their presence and manipulated the distrust of political groups in their favor.[34]

Journalists at The New York Times Magazine, BBC and Teen Vogue, as well as psychologists Bryant Welch, Robert Feldman and Leah McElrath, have described some of the actions of Donald Trump during the 2016 US presidential election and his term as president as examples of gaslighting.[31][35][36][37][38] Journalism professor Ben Yagoda wrote in The Chronicle of Higher Education in January 2017 that the term gaslighting had become topical again as the result of Trump's behavior, saying that Trump's "habitual tendency to say 'X', and then, at some later date, indignantly declare, 'I did not say "X". In fact, I would never dream of saying "X"' had brought new notability to the term.[30]
Gaslighting is utilized by leaders and followers of sectarian groups to ensure conformity of any potentially deviating members.
It just increased on nairaland. Operation Crocodile Smile will run till December. Expect Gaslighting till December. Remember is a marathon not a sprint. Our God will not shame us. #Endsars #Endpolicebrutality

The north has been using this tactics to divide the south. We are wiser now.

SLAP44:
The north has been using this tactics to divide the south. We are wiser now.

please stop begging for unity with other well meaning people of the south.

Is it not surprising that Igbos all of a sudden want to be united with other tribes in the South? We are not together and can never be together. We can't be united with IPOB apologists. You people hid under the pissful Protest to cause bloodshed in the land.

Nigerians will never forget this lesson.

OZOnNengiTheory:
please stop begging for unity with other well meaning people of the south.

Is it not surprising that Igbos all of a sudden want to be united with other tribes in the South? We are not together and can never be together. We can't be united with IPOB apologists. You people hid under the pissful Protest to cause bloodshed in the land.

Nigerians will never forget this lesson.

You this fool again

Exactly what is happening now

OZOnNengiTheory:
please stop begging for unity with other well meaning people of the south.

Is it not surprising that Igbos all of a sudden want to be united with other tribes in the South? We are not together and can never be together. We can't be united with IPOB apologists. You people hid under the pissful Protest to cause bloodshed in the land.

Nigerians will never forget this lesson.

#OurFavEndSARSDoc StethoscopeFlag of NigeriaFlag of United Kingdom
@DrOlufunmilayo
Peaceful protests went on for days with no chaos. Govt invited thugs to the party to harm protesters. Now you are crying that thugs are burning, looting and ruining the state.
You created monsters to fight your enemies. Now the monster turned on you.
Shame on you. Stupid govt

OZOnNengiTheory:
please stop begging for unity with other well meaning people of the south.

Is it not surprising that Igbos all of a sudden want to be united with other tribes in the South? We are not together and can never be together. We can't be united with IPOB apologists. You people hid under the pissful Protest to cause bloodshed in the land.

Nigerians will never forget this lesson.

Na them be this, Paid Apologists who because of money write lies to cause discord.

OZOnNengiTheory:
please stop begging for unity with other well meaning people of the south.

Is it not surprising that Igbos all of a sudden want to be united with other tribes in the South? We are not together and can never be together. We can't be united with IPOB apologists. You people hid under the pissful Protest to cause bloodshed in the land.

Nigerians will never forget this lesson.

Are you happy for typing in the nonsense??