#Define undermine someone how to#
#Define undermine someone professional#

How to tell if someone is gaslighting youĪlthough it can be difficult for affected people to know if they are experiencing gaslighting, gathering proof could help them obtain reliable evidence and recognize the above signs. The authors suggest workplace gaslighting is people-oriented and may consist of trivialization, when a leader tries to undermine their subordinate’s fears, realities, or perspectives, and affliction, when a leader directs negative emotions or pain onto their subordinate. Workplace gaslightingĪccording to a 2023 article, workplace gaslighting is a process that occurs in a work environment from someone in a position of power, such as a supervisor, toward a subordinate. For example, they may portray whistleblowers who report problems as irrational or incompetent, or deceive employees about their rights.

Institutional gaslighting occurs within a company, organization, or institution, such as a hospital. Political gaslighting occurs when a political group or figure lies or manipulates information to control people, according to a 2020 article.įor example, the person or political party may downplay things their administration has done, discredit their opponents, imply that critics are mentally unstable, or use controversy to deflect attention away from their mistakes. Racial gaslightingĪccording to a 2021 article, racial gaslighting is when people apply gaslighting techniques, such as manipulation, to an entire racial or ethnic group in order to discredit them.įor example, a person or institution may say that an activist campaigning for change is irrational or “crazy,” or they may deny biases if someone confronts them about microaggressions. They may tell the person their symptoms are “in their head” or label them a hypochondriac.

#Define undermine someone professional#

Medical gaslightingĪccording to the CPTSD Foundation, medical gaslighting is when a medical professional dismisses a person’s health concerns as being the product of their imagination. For example, when a child cries, they may say they are “too sensitive” to shame them and make them stop.

Child-parent relationshipsĪbusive parents or caregivers may gaslight children to undermine them. For example, they might tell someone they are irrational until the person starts to think it must be true. In relationships, an abusive person may use gaslighting to isolate their partner, undermine their confidence, and make them easier to control. Gaslighting can occur in any type of interaction, but it is especially common in: Intimate relationships For example, they may say that no one will believe a woman if she reports abuse.

Stereotyping: A 2019 article suggests that a person may intentionally use negative stereotypes about someone’s gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, nationality, or age to gaslight them.

For example, they might say, “That is just nonsense you read on the internet.

Diverting: With this technique, a person changes the focus of a discussion by questioning the other person’s credibility.

They may do this by pretending to forget what happened, saying they did not do it, or blaming their behavior on someone else.

Denial: Denial involves a person refusing to take responsibility for their actions.

They may accuse them of being “too sensitive” or overreacting in response to valid and reasonable concerns.

Trivializing: This occurs when a person belittles or disregards how someone else feels.

For example, they might say, “Now you are just confusing me,” or “I do not know what you are talking about.”

Withholding: This involves someone pretending they do not understand the conversation or refusing to listen to make a person doubt themselves.

They may say things such as, “Are you sure about that? You have a bad memory,” or “I think you are forgetting what really happened.”

Countering: This is when someone questions a person’s memory.

Share on Pinterest illustration by Diego Sabogal.Īccording to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, gaslighting can happen in a variety of ways.