, the US dictionary publisher, announced that its 2022 word of the year is"gaslighting" due to the tremendous growth in the word's popularity. Compared to previous years, searches for the word's definition on Merriam-Webster's website increased 1,740% in 2022.as they may not even realise it's happening.
, this may be due to the way society can sometimes depict women as more irrational and less in control of their emotions than men. While this statement might seem like an apology, it isn't. Instead, Tessina says this is a way for an abuser to deflect responsibility and blame the victim. When a victim hears that their abuser would not intentionally hurt them, they question the validity of their emotions and if they have the right to be upset with their partner. This phrase is an extremely common example of gaslighting in romantic and familial relationships. By justifying their intentions as loving, abusers manipulate victims into thinking that the abuser has their best interests at heart.
When a parent says this to their child, they're putting responsibility on the child for the outcome of the situation, making the child feel as though their actions caused a negative reaction. This example is difficult to recognize as gaslighting because it seems as though the abuser is empathetic toward human suffering. It also may seem like they are attempting to comfort the victim by putting their pain into perspective. However, it undermines the victim's personal emotions and invalidates the challenges they are facing. This phrase is another example used by abusers to stifle a victim's emotions.