A Letter to Stephanie Miller

A woman called in to your show at around 8:15 am (I listen in Albuquerque). She said something that REALLY has made me rethink my perspective on communicating with people. She pointed out that the GOP communicates with their constituency using words and images that evoke a gut, primal reaction, and that perhaps we should attempt to communicate this way, too.

A gaslighting society: How sexism makes us crazy.

Sexism on a daily basis. Institutionalized sexism. Sexism in disguise. What do these things do to our brains? I think we are being gaslighted on a continual basis, and I think we suffer a loss of confidence because of it. At least I am.

Gaslighting is emotional abuse that aims to make victims doubt their own sanity, perceptions, and memories. This is done by denying provable facts, disparaging the victim's character, claiming that a recollection is false, etc. This creates confusion and doubt in the victim. Over time, this erodes the self-esteem of the victim, effectively disarming them. This term is often used in relation to a narcissistic abuser. I am applying it to our society as a whole.