A composed man watching intently with his hands clasped

Gaslighting

Gaslighting uses denial, contradiction, or distorted facts to make you doubt your memory, perception, or judgment. Repeated reality distortion can weaken your confidence and make you rely on the other person's version of events. Recognizing the pattern helps you trust evidence, document what happened, and seek outside perspective.

Making you doubt your memory so they can control the narrative.

  1. A manager demands, ‘I need the full report on my desk tonight.’
  2. An employee replies, ‘You told me yesterday the deadline was Friday.’
  3. The manager says, ‘I never said that. You’re remembering it wrong.’
  4. The manager adds, ‘This confusion worries me. Are you sure you’re ready?’
  5. The employee wonders, ‘Did I misunderstand him? I wrote Friday in my notes.’
  6. The employee responds, ‘No. I remember clearly. Please stop denying it.’
  7. The employee leaves and says, ‘I trust my memory. I’ll follow up in writing.’