The classic 1944 movie "Gaslight" acquired new fans when the tactic used by the manipulative husband (lying about his adjustment of the interior lights, to cause his wife to doubt her sanity) became newly relevant in the wake of the 2016 election.
It’s that time of year again! Time, that is, for all the best-of/worst-of lists. One of my own favorites: Best word of the year.
Three prominent lexicographic authorities announced solid winners recently. The Oxford Community allowed public participation in voting this year, and “goblin mode” beat out “metaverse” and “#IStandWith.” On Dec. 13, Dictionary.com declared their winner to be “woman,” certainly a relevant and compelling choice. Many current events have “woman” at the center, of course, but my main association is with the Kurdish slogan, “Woman, Life, Freedom,” now more poignant and powerful after the extra-judicial killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in Iran this past September.
But I would argue that the Merriam-Webster word of the year, “gaslighting,” wins out for the purposes of our community at Daily Kos. See how well their explanation fits with what we hope to combat here:
When gaslighting was first used in the mid 20th century it referred to a kind of deception like that in the movie. We define this use as:
: psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator
But in recent years, we have seen the meaning of gaslighting refer also to something simpler and broader: “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for a personal advantage.” In this use, the word is at home with other terms relating to modern forms of deception and manipulation, such as fake news, deepfake, and artificial intelligence.
The idea of a deliberate conspiracy to mislead has made gaslighting useful in describing lies that are part of a larger plan. Unlike lying, which tends to be between individuals, and fraud, which tends to involve organizations, gaslighting applies in both personal and political contexts. It’s at home in formal and technical writing as well as in colloquial use….
Let me invite you now to answer a question related to the idea of “best words”: On Daily Kos, what words do you find most important to know?
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