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Since when do people use "gaslighting" this way? She and colleagues seem to use it left and right on Twitter regarding all kinds of behaviors. I thought it had

Since when do people use "gaslighting" this way? She and colleagues seem to use it left and right on Twitter regarding all kinds of behaviors. I thought it had a quite specific meaning in the context of narcissist abusers intentionally making their victims doubt their own sanity.

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
It does. She's made this argument explicitly elsewhere; she believes that Google's treatment of her constituted emotional abuse.
- lawnchair_larry 6y ago
  Emotional abuse isn’t gaslighting though. Almost nobody uses that term logically it seems.
visarga 6y ago
They are using storytelling and emotion as a replacement for study and analysis - the preferred method of identity politics. Identity politics means individuality-less politics, where individuals are seen as mere parts of a group, or symbols for the common suffering of the group, and not by themselves. You hurt one you hurt the whole group, is the way they are thinking. We have seen this recently in the Timnit vs Yann LeCun and Pedro vs Anima scandals, even the allies of wokes would be accused of being racist the moment they dared express a slightly more nuanced opinion. You have to approve the lead woke and not add anything or you're instantly the enemy.
whoooooo123 6y ago
"gaslighting" does have the specific meaning you describe, or at least it used to, but these days it's mostly just used to mean "saying something I disagree with." It seems to come from a special kind of narcissism in which people are so devoutly convinced of their own moral rectitude that they can't believe anyone might disagree with them in good faith. They're so cocooned in their bubble that they can't process anything resembling a contradictory opinion; it sends them into emotional haywire and their only response is to cry victim. When I hear someone talking about "gaslighting" it significantly lowers my inclination to take them seriously.

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago

It does. She's made this argument explicitly elsewhere; she believes that Google's treatment of her constituted emotional abuse.

lawnchair_larry 6y ago
Emotional abuse isn’t gaslighting though. Almost nobody uses that term logically it seems.

visarga 6y ago

They are using storytelling and emotion as a replacement for study and analysis - the preferred method of identity politics. Identity politics means individuality-less politics, where individuals are seen as mere parts of a group, or symbols for the common suffering of the group, and not by themselves. You hurt one you hurt the whole group, is the way they are thinking. We have seen this recently in the Timnit vs Yann LeCun and Pedro vs Anima scandals, even the allies of wokes would be accused of being racist the moment they dared express a slightly more nuanced opinion. You have to approve the lead woke and not add anything or you're instantly the enemy.

whoooooo123 6y ago

"gaslighting" does have the specific meaning you describe, or at least it used to, but these days it's mostly just used to mean "saying something I disagree with." It seems to come from a special kind of narcissism in which people are so devoutly convinced of their own moral rectitude that they can't believe anyone might disagree with them in good faith. They're so cocooned in their bubble that they can't process anything resembling a contradictory opinion; it sends them into emotional haywire and their only response is to cry victim. When I hear someone talking about "gaslighting" it significantly lowers my inclination to take them seriously.