The term ‘gaslighting’ has been making its rounds lately, thanks to scandals such as the one involving Korean actor Kim Seon-ho, where he was accused of gaslighting his ex-girlfriend by promising to marry her, among other things.
While it’s possible to gaslight in almost any situation, including at work, gaslighting is most common in relationships.
But what exactly is gaslighting? In short, it’s a form of emotional or psychological abuse where one party says and does things to manipulate their partner in order to gain power over them.
As the word suggests, it’s akin to the situation where one pours gas over a fire so that it gets so out of control that you have no idea what’s going on. A gaslighter messes with your head by twisting and turning things so much that it eventually feels like things are always your fault and you’re not good enough for them. The mind games they play are emotionally draining on their ‘victim’ and, while it can work both ways, it’s usually men who do this. Here are seven ways to tell if your partner is gaslighting.