The word “gaslighting” had a 1,740% increase in lookups in 2022, prompting the folks at Merriam-Webster Dictionary to officially deem it the “word of the year.” Gaslighting is defined as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.” It stems from a 1938 movie called “Gaslight” in which a man attempts to make his wife believe she’s going insane by turning off or turning down the gas-powered lights in their home and then telling her she’s imagining it when she asks. Nice fellow.
In modern terms, gaslighting is frequently considered a characteristic of narcissism, but instances of gaslighting can be found in multiple circumstances. Toddlers are really good at it, which may say something about the emotional development of the narcissist. You know when you ask a toddler who ate the cookies in the cookie jar and they deny it, and then blame a sibling, the dog, or the infamous “Nobody”? That’s a gaslighting precursor. Graduate level gaslighting takes it a step further by telling you there were no cookies in the cookie jar to begin with, or, even better, that you ate them yourself and don’t remember doing so, and how dare you accuse them of such a heinous offense.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, the Oxford Dictionary’s word/phrase for 2022, chosen by online vote in an overwhelming majority, is “goblin mode.” Goblin mode appeared on Twitter in 2009 and gained popularity during the pandemic. It’s defined as “a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.” Again, kind of like toddler behavior. Goblin Mode sounds like a great automatic reply email/text for use outside of business hours. “Going goblin mode this weekend” is much more interesting than “taking a break.” No one pays attention to “taking a day off” or “taking a break” anymore. They might, however, pay attention to goblins.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
