Hello everyone the question today is, What is the difference between lying and gaslighting . Well
gaslighting is a tern that is used to describe a process of psychological and emotional
manipulation. It is aimed at changing a person's perception of themselves and perception of reality
in order to gain control over them. And it often involves lying, which means the difference can be
difficult to discern. Now lying, well let's be honest, everybody has lied at some point. Even
a little white lie just to gain an advantage or avoid embarrassment. Or maybe get out of a tricky
situation, avoid punishment. Or maybe just to spare someone's feelings. Lying usually involves
either withholding information or exaggerating, even falsifying information or presenting it as
true. And not every time, but most people will recognise when they're being lied too,
especially if there is evidence to the contrary, or if that person maybe has a history of telling
lies, saying things that aren't true and maybe they keep contradicting themselves. Gaslighting
is similar to lying, and people who gaslight others may do it for similar reasons, but it's
not just about trying to look good or maybe weasel out of something. What they're doing is trying to
confuse the other person, to rewrite reality to make them doubt their perception, their memory,
second guess themselves in order to control them. So some of the main differences include.
Lying can be impulsive. There isn't always an agenda, sometimes it's just to appear interesting.
Gaslighting is manipulation. It can be thought out. There is an agenda. Because lying can be
impulsive sometimes it's easier to spot, which makes it harder to go along with.
It's quite easy to see through even after a while. But gaslighting can be more strategic.
It's not always an outright lie. Sometimes little seeds have doubt or little thoughts
planted here and there. Lying is not stating the facts, or maybe it's just making them up.
Gaslighting is about twisting the facts. For instance to put the blame or the responsibility
for something onto someone else. Lying can involve deliberately not describing something accurately.
Gaslighting can involve the manipulation of language, maybe changing the meaning the words
to change how something is described. Lying can exaggerate something just to make it sound
more interesting. Gaslighting can exaggerate or play down certain facts in order to control the
narrative. Lying at times be quite fantastical. Gaslighting, certainly in the early stages anyway,
could sound quite reasonable. Lying could be the outright denial of something. For instance,
someone's caught red handed and they claim, It wasn't me. I never did that.
Gaslighting can be shifting the focus onto the person who caught them. If it wasn't for you,
if it wasn't for people like you, you're clearly the villain here. Lying could be about either
gaining or avoiding attention. Gaslighting is about controlling the narrative, controlling
where the attention goes. Now the effect of lying on the liar can be confusion as they go down many
different rabbit holes trying to remember what version of what they told to who. The effect of
gaslighting for the gas lighters is to see their target back down, to see them confused, question
themselves. Even blame themselves. The affect of being lied to can be bewilderment could be anger,
frustration. The effect of being gaslit can bring up self doubt, uncertainty a loss of confidence,
autonomy and unwilling compliance. So basically, lying is what it is. It's lies, untruths.
Gaslighting is about gaining power and control over someone or a situation by attacking,
confusing, blaming, misrepresenting. A liar will lie for many different
reasons. Gaslighters lie for specific reasons. It's all about brain washing,
controlling the narrative. Getting others to take responsibility for things that
aren't their responsibility. So I'm going to leave you with a quote from Mark Twain,
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. Thanks for watching.