Discerning decency of character in our times is a challenge. With all manner of character dysfuntion “normalized,” we’ve largely become desensitized, even to the most egregious forms.
Impression management skill and gaslighting often go hand-in-hand. When others don’t see your nemesis the same way you have come to see them, it can make you feel crazy, which is what the gaslighting effect is all about.
Perhaps the most common brainwashing technique is indoctrination through constant repetition of a limited set of ideas while simultaneously discouraging or disparaging alternative thinking.