A call to end the all-too-prevalent gaslighting culture in the US

You may have heard of the term gaslighting. It can happen between supposed friends, between an employee and their superior or in any other relationship. Whether within our own student organizations or on a national scale, it happens every day.

The term, which describes a form of psychological manipulation, comes from the play “Gas Light,” which later became two film adaptations. The man in the movie convinces his wife she is insane by changing things and then insisting they have stayed the same when she notices. In particular, he dims the gas lights and then claims she is imagining it. While it may seem like it’s just a lie, it in fact goes deeper than that because it causes someone to question their sanity.

Does this sound familiar? President Donald Trump gaslights the nation by taking each negative story against him and claiming the mainstream media is out to get him. A well-sourced and independently confirmed story breaks, and we’re told it’s just fake news. Lauren Duca originally wrote about this in December 2016 for Teen Vogue, where she wrote, “Trump won the Presidency by gas light. His rise to power has awakened a force of bigotry by condoning and encouraging hatred, but also by normalizing deception.” This has only continued in Trump’s administration.

Roy Moore, who is running for what used to be Jeff Sessions’ Senate seat in Alabama, has claimed The Washington Post’s reports of his inappropriate sexual encounters with teenage girls are just the liberal media trying to help his opponent. Republican politicians responded by saying he should withdraw if the allegations are true. The truth is this response is just another form of gaslighting. How much more confirmation do they need?

Although outright denying the accusations might make Moore win in the short term, this response will hurt Republicans in the long run. Many ask why Moore’s victims didn’t speak out earlier, and the answer to that is easy: They expected this kind of response.

This isn’t limited to national politics. At UF, I’ve experienced gaslighting on a large scale at least twice. You go to leaders with concerns only to be told you’re being ridiculous and what you’re saying is not what’s happening or there’s nothing they can do. People claim to support transparency and accountability but don’t practice it. Often, leaders have the power to either perpetuate or solve a problem. As the saying goes, “a fish rots from the head down.”

The key is to identify gaslighting and call it out when you see it. It’s disappointing this has had to become a theme of my weekly column, but it is amazing how people can allow abusive and toxic cultures to exist right under their noses. I’m not saying the victim is responsible for calling out abusive cultures, but there are those who see it happen or are complicit who can and should call it out.

Gaslighting is all-consuming and makes people feel terribly alone. It’s a form of harassment and bullying that is impossible to escape. It creates a toxic culture where people feel like they can’t speak out when they see problems. We need to validate each other’s concerns, instead to sweeping them aside or throwing our hands up to say there’s nothing to be done.

Nicole Dan is a UF political science and journalism senior. Her column appears on Mondays.