Setting Fire to Political Gaslighting

The line between truth and illusion is scorched by those who manipulate reality.

Gaslighting—a term born from the 1938 play Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton—captures this destructive art. In the play, a husband deliberately dims the gas lights and then insists nothing has changed, compelling his wife to question her very sanity. His relentless manipulation serves a singular purpose: to control her, to undermine her trust in her own perception, and to secure his own advantage. He gaslights her not out of love, but to consolidate power and hide his true intentions.

"The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."

– Winston Churchill

This intimate abuse of truth is not confined to personal relationships. The dark techniques of political gaslighting have been wielded on a grand scale. In the rise of Nazism, for example, propaganda became a tool for mass gaslighting. Under the orchestration of figures like Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi regime distorted reality—rewriting history, spreading disinformation, and undermining critical thought—until millions were made to doubt their own perceptions and accept an oppressive, manufactured reality. The same tactics that made one woman question the dimming of gaslight can be seen in the way an entire nation was deceived, coerced, and manipulated.

Yet, as we confront these horrors, both personal and political, we find a spark of resistance in the act of reclaiming truth. When we dare to challenge the lies fed to us—whether whispered in a troubled home or broadcast from a totalitarian regime—we set fire to the darkness of gaslighting. This is a call to dismantle the web of manipulation, to trust our inner vision, and to fight for a reality defined by transparency, critical thought, and collective empowerment.

The Erasure of History and the Denial of Truth

Fear, manipulation, and the distortion of memory are the hallmarks of gaslighting—and in our time, they have taken on a national scale. While some point to acts like renaming landmarks as rewriting history, the real danger lies in the systematic erasure of historical events that remind us of our past struggles and truths. From attempts to sanitize our public spaces to subtle shifts in educational narratives, history is being stripped of its raw, unvarnished reality.

Consider recent trends where efforts are made to downplay or remove references to critical historical events—whether it’s the painful legacy of colonial exploitation, the brutal truths of slavery, or the forced displacement of indigenous peoples. When we allow those in power to rewrite our shared past, we risk forgetting the lessons that once ignited movements for justice and reform. This is gaslighting writ large: a deliberate campaign to replace the unflinching truth with a sanitized narrative that serves only to preserve existing power structures.

On social media, the mantra “Keep calm, they say. Why are you so emotional, they say. Wait and see, this is all wonderful, they say” is deployed to mask these very tactics. It’s a subtle reminder that maintaining an artificial calm is not about passivity—it’s about drowning out dissent and obscuring reality. When history is erased, when monuments and textbooks no longer recount the full measure of our collective pain and resilience, truth itself becomes the casualty.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

– Martin Luther King Jr.

We must ask ourselves: What happens when the collective memory of a nation is sanitized? How do we learn from the atrocities, the sacrifices, and the rebellions that have defined our journey? When our history is rewritten or erased, we lose not only our ability to understand our present but also the strength to challenge the future.

Outshining the Political Gaslighting

To set yourself free from gaslighting starts with reclaiming your truth and setting healthy boundaries—both in your personal life and as part of a broader, national effort to resist manipulation. Here are several strategies and how each can be leveraged to counteract gaslighting on a larger scale:

• Recognize the Signs: Understand that gaslighting thrives on subtle distortions of reality. In our daily lives, this might look like dismissive comments or curated narratives on social media that force us to question our perceptions. On a national scale, recognizing these signs means becoming aware of how political rhetoric, media spin, or government actions are used to obscure uncomfortable truths. Awareness empowers you to question narratives that aim to rewrite history or dilute accountability.

  
  

• Validate Your Feelings: Trust that your emotional responses are real and significant. When you feel manipulated or doubted, your feelings are a signal that something is amiss. Individually, this validation is the first step toward personal liberation. Collectively, when people acknowledge and share their genuine experiences of gaslighting, it creates a grassroots foundation for a national dialogue that challenges systemic manipulation and reinforces the value of truth.

  
  

• Document Your Reality: All sides of an issue can succumb to gaslighting unintentionally! Be informed in order to be an advocate for truth, not greater hysteria and extremism. Keep a record of events and conversations, whether through journaling or digital note-taking. This personal documentation helps you see patterns of manipulation and serves as evidence of your lived truth. On a broader level, individuals who document their experiences contribute to a shared archive of counter-narratives—tools for community fact-checking and a basis for demanding transparency from those in power.

  
  

• Set Firm Boundaries: Establish clear limits on how much exposure you allow to toxic influences. On a personal level, this might mean unfollowing or blocking accounts on social media that consistently distort reality, or limiting discussions with family members who dismiss your experiences. Nationally, setting boundaries can take the form of demanding stricter standards for media accountability, advocating for policies that protect the integrity of historical records, or simply cultivating a digital environment that prizes critical inquiry over echo chambers. It’s not about complete disengagement, but about curating spaces where respectful, fact-based dialogue can thrive.

  
  

• Seek External Support: Surround yourself with people who validate your experiences and encourage open, honest discussion. This support network might include friends, community groups, or professional counselors who understand the impact of manipulation. When many individuals join forces to support one another, it creates a robust community resistance—a microcosm of the collective strength needed to challenge national narratives that rely on gaslighting tactics.

  
  

• Educate Yourself: Arm yourself with knowledge from reliable sources—historical records, independent journalism, and scholarly research—that counteract manipulated narratives. When individuals become well-informed, they are better equipped to question distorted facts and share accurate information with their communities. In a national context, widespread education fosters critical thinking, enabling the public to demand accountability and transparency from both political leaders and mainstream media.

  
  

• Engage in Self-Care and Reflection: Cultivate practices like meditation, creative expression, or quiet reflection to reconnect with your inner truth. This isn’t just a personal necessity—it’s a way to build the emotional resilience required to resist manipulative forces. On a larger scale, fostering a culture of mindfulness and compassion can serve as a counterweight to the divisive tactics used in mass gaslighting. Sometimes, it might mean taking deliberate breaks from social media or difficult conversations, not to escape reality, but to recharge and return with a clearer perspective.

  
  

Breaking free from gaslighting is both an individual and a collective act of courage. By affirming your own truth and establishing healthy boundaries, you contribute to a broader resistance—a movement toward a more transparent, accountable, and compassionate society. Whether through limiting toxic influences, documenting your reality, or engaging in informed dialogue, every step you take is a small victory against a system designed to blur the lines between truth and illusion.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

– John 8:32

Let us set fire to gaslighting—burn away the illusions and reclaim our right to see, to know, and to speak our truth. Whether on the personal front or in the struggle against mass manipulation, our challenge remains the same: to illuminate the shadows, embrace our authentic perceptions, and forge a path toward a future where truth prevails over the darkness of deception.