Quotes About Gaslighting

The term ‘gaslighting’ has its roots in the 1938 play Gas Light, by Patrick Hamilton. The plot revolves around a husband attempting to manipulate his wife into thinking she is going mad. He does this through various tactics, such as dimming the gas lights in their home and then denying that they are doing so when his wife points it out.

In the 1940s film adaptation of the play, Gaslight, this same manipulative behaviour is used by a husband attempting to make his wife believe she is going insane so he can continue an affair with another woman. This term has since been used to describe similar behaviour in relationships and other contexts.

By understanding the words associated with gaslighting and recognizing the signs that someone is attempting to manipulate you, it’s possible to protect yourself from further manipulation.

Quotes about the abuse of ‘gaslighting’ can help to highlight the insidious behavior, the intentions behind it and the consequences of this behaviour.

“Gaslighting is mind control to make victims doubt their reality.” Tracy Malone

“Abuse grows from attitudes and values, not feelings. The roots are ownership, the trunk is entitlement, and the branches are control.” Lundy Bancroft

“True love is built on free will and free choice, not control and manipulation.” Ken Poirot

“Gaslighting is a subtle form of emotional manipulation that often results in the recipient doubting their own perception of reality and their sanity. In addition, gaslighting is a method of manipulation by toxic people to gain power over you. The worst part about gaslighting is that it undermines your self-worth to the point where you’re second-guessing everything.” Dana Arcuri

“When you’re surrounded by a world of constant lies, manipulation, and deceit, that dark energy is bound to seep into you eventually.” Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

“If you alter your behaviour because you are frightened of how your partner will react, you are being abused.” Sandra Horley

“People turned against each other cannot turn against those responsible.” DaShanne Stokes

“Gaslighting is the systematic attempt by one person to erode another person’s reality by telling them that what they are experiencing isn’t so — and, the gradual giving up on the part of the other person.” Robin Stern

“Because to take away a man’s freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.” Madeline L’Engle

“Remember, someone that does something bad to you, will always try to control the narrative, and they generally get out there first and spin the story to anyone who will listen. I always like to watch the quiet one. You are not alone.” Maranda Pleasant

“Everybody has the ability to be manipulative, to be hateful and deceitful.” Neil LaBute

“It starts with a lie. Each day the lies amplify. Time goes by, the lies turn to gaslighting. Eventually the lies become smears about you.” Tracy A. Malone

“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” Soren Kierkegaard

“With emotional abuse, the insults, insinuations, criticism, and accusations slowly eat away at the victim’s self-esteem until he or she is incapable of judging a situation realistically. He or she may begin to believe that there is something wrong with them or even fear they are losing their mind. They have become so beaten down emotionally that they blame themselves for the abuse.” Beverly Engel

“The scars from mental cruelty can be as deep and long-lasting as wounds from punches or slaps but are often not as obvious. In fact, even among women who have experienced violence from a partner, half or more report that the man’s emotional abuse is what is causing them the greatest harm.” Lundy Bancroft

“Narcissism is not self-love. It’s the opposite of that. It’s a nagging horror that you are, deep down, unlovable. A narcissist needs the love, attention, and admiration of others to survive because he or she cannot produce enough healthy self-respect to be at peace.” Deborah Orr

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