#which ive certainly been guilty of dont get me wrong! but i think we can do better and community build more :)

[harpieisthecarpie]

Mildly important fanwork/fandom interaction questions! Anyone can feel free to answer!

Thinking about fandom interactions, I'm wondering about how we as fan communities can create fun environments and engage with other fans more!

You can answer (or not answer) however many of these questions as you want! The questions bolded with their number in purple are the ones I'm most curious about.

Feel free to reply in the reblogs, tags, or comments!

If you can, please reblog so we can get more answers :)

Questions below!

(There's sections for fans that make fanworks, fans that interact with fanworks, and fans that enjoy fanworks but don't interact.)

Fans that create fanworks (fanart, fanfic, edits, etc):

A1. What are your favorite kinds of interactions/comments? Ex. Long rambles, analyses and theories, strings of incoherent garbled yelling

A2. Where do you like to get them? Ex. Ao3 vs Tumblr, reblogs vs tags vs comments, in DMs?

A3. Do you want or enjoy people creating stuff inspired by or modifying yours? (Creating as in art of your fic, fic of your art, etc. Modifying as in translations, podfics, etc)

A4. Do you want or enjoy people promoting your stuff? Ex. fic rec lists, sharing in groupchats, posting about your stuff with links to it

A5. How do you feel when you get nice comments or have good interactions?

A6. Most importantly, what would you say to people who are scared to or or don't know how to start interacting with fanworks?

Fans that enjoy fanworks and interact with them:

B1. What kind of comments do you like leaving and where do you leave them? Ex. Ao3 vs Tumblr, reblogs vs tags vs comments

B2. What makes you more likely to interact?

B3. What made you start interacting?

B4. Have you made any friends or mutuals by commenting and interacting?

B5. Has leaving comments and talking with creatives changed how you feel about or approach your own fanworks?

B6. How has interacting with fanworks and the guys who make them improved your fan experience?

People that enjoy fanworks but don't interact (no judgment! We're all different 💛):

C1. Do you want to interact more? If you do, what makes you want to comment or interact?

C2. Is there anything holding you back? Ex. nerves, unsure how, bad past experiences, etc.

C3. Do you make your own fanworks? Has that affected (or been affected by) your choice not to interact?

C4. Are there ways other fans could help or encourage you to interact or get involved? Are there any ways you want to encourage yourself?

THANKS FOR ANSWERING IF YOU DO :D

PS. Add a 💛 or <3 to your response/reblog if you want me to make an anonymous survey focusing on this topic!

I'd compile and post the results so we can see how our fellow fans think :)

[zeroconnectionn]

Ok ive calmed down and am sorry for my outburst and i agree w what most of u are saying about jaime's actions. I dont like it, specifically /how/ he did it, but i get why he did it Few things that we should take into consideration (and not lose hope): -in this episode, jaime finds out from bronn that cersei sent him to kill jaime and tyrion. Notice how surprised and upset he was when he realised bronn really would kill them? Makes no sense for him to return to the woman who wants him dead TWICE out of "love" or "addiction" -in the scene where brienne tells him what happened, jaime gets important info on how ruthless cersei is. She'll never surrender. She'll break Dany and will use the people in KL as pawns. Millions will die because of TWO mad queens fighting for the throne and one of them has a dragon while the other has barrels of wildfire all over KL. That's a fucking nightmare for everyone, but especially for Jaime. He slayed the Mad King to prevent that and now history is repeating itself. This man suffers from survivor's guilt and would no doubt feel restless and responsible somehow. He knows that he potentially has an important role in this war and he's going to play it for the greater good. -He didn't actually say it but he loves Brienne. D&d confirmed that. Nik and gwen have confirmed that. They laid together more than once! They have always been next to each other, in this episode and the ones before. There's no fucking way he's choosing Cersei over her. No. Jaime said what he said and in the way that he said it to protect her, because he loves her, because Brienne is good and she survived The Long Night and her place is in Winterfell by Sansa's side (not a big fan of that tbh), NOT fighting someone else's war and certainly nowhere near Cersei. After hearing about Missandei? The last place Jaime wants Brienne to be at is in KL with him. So he deliberately made his goodbye harsh and cruel to break her heart. He knows how vulnerable Brienne is. He needed her to think he didn't want her. And I don't think Jaime could live with himself if he brought her along. To his credit, he tried to sneak out so there'd be no confrontation but because Brienne caught him, he had to be cruel out of necessity. It fucking pained him too to say it, we all know this. We saw it. Brienne is going to be okay. And she's not wrong. Jaime is still a good and honourable man. -Which brings me to my next point. Jaime's character development and redemption arc throughout the seasons. He listed every horrible thing he did for Cersei, back when he was still attached to her. He says she's hateful and he is too. I think what this means is that they're both awful people who have done awful things. They have done awful things together and for each other. And it took him a long time to realise that. I think Jaime was trying to say that he hates himself and Cersei for what he once was, the crimes he committed for her, all because she asked him to or because he wanted to get back to her. I think he also feels tremendously guilty for being complicit in Cersei's wickedness, for allowing her to rise in power and hurt so many people. How can he possibly stay in Winterfell knowing that? That he could've done something to prevent it but didn't? This is his chance now. Even if it's awful timing. Because Jaime and Cersei have one weakness. And it's each other. It's family. Jaime understands that he can do something to stop her but he has to act now before things literally go up into flames. Even if that means he'll die trying. Even if it means losing the one person he's ever truly loved and loved him back. Because Jaime is a good and honourable man. We ought to remember that fam.

[universal-rambler-blog]

OC Interview: 9 (guilt by proximity?), 10 (mass deaths for positive change), 16 (contemplated killing someone), 19 (are you wrong or the world?), 24 (what do tears mean?)

Interview with a Gestalt

9. Can people be held accountable for things people close or related to them did or are they innocent?

How absurd! Quite unreasonable to punish someone for the misdeeds of those in proximity unless there is reason to suspect they were somehow involved! Short of telepathic abilities - and I feel reasonably secure in saying most of humanity has not breached that particular barrier - it simply is not possible to fully know or comprehend the people we accompany through life. It is therefore entirely likely that those near or related to you have taken many actions of which you are unaware; isn’t it distressing to think you might be punished for their behaviour?

Knowledge & subsequent decisions are the most important factors. Why, if we were guilty by association, we would all be remarkably guilty, don’t you think?

10. If a lot of people, possibly innocent people, have to die in order to make a real change, is it worth it? Can you live with their deaths even if it helps people in the present?

That depends very much on where you’re standing when catastrophe strikes, ducky.  

Personally: abhorrent. Practically: Bo-ring. Show me a person who says that mass murder is absolutely, positively the only solution and I’ll paste their photo in the dictionary next to ‘uninspired.’

I will tell you this: Murder is a sloppy, impatient severing of potential - both for good and for ill - and there is almost always a more effective answer. It is so easy to be caught in the currents of the moment that sometimes it may seem as though this is the only way out. I would propose that people who think so may be too close to the situation to think clearly.

Ach, but Maaike is only getting louder and she assures me she will shatter my teapot if I do not admit I am lucky enough to have not been in a position where I felt someone deserved to be murdered in this lifetime. I will concede that point.

Thank you for leaving the teapot intact.

As to the second question, I frankly wouldn’t have much choice in the matter. I must always live with my decisions, no matter the consequences. Short of some cosmic interference or perhaps that fool Entropy catching wise to me - and believe you me, that is always a possibility - it’s entirely possible some fragment of me will live until there is no more living left to do. Exciting!

16. Have you ever contemplated killing someone? Who and why? Would you ever act on it? Are you frightened you might?

In other lifetimes, I have not only contemplated it, I acted upon it. ‘I’ being relative, naturally. The reasons vary: for revenge; for personal gain; accidentally; self defense; a misguided sense of justice. I look back upon these memories and I wonder who they might have become, if I let them go. I wonder how many other lines would have been scribbled into their family trees.

If I decided to kill anyone this time around, it would be my choice, so it doesn’t scare me. I would have to be afraid of myself - hah! If that means I am capable of murder, despite my distaste for how it ends the growth of others, then I must be aware of it. I’d like to know myself, I’m my only constant, so I ought to be on good terms with me!

In the name of honesty and my teapot, I suppose I must again mention that I am lucky to not have a reason to feel murderous towards anyone, unlike previous iterations.

19. What is more likely a thought to you – that this world is wrong or that you are wrong?

Hm. Quite a box you’ve created here. But frankly, if you’ll excuse an old woman her foibles, I am more likely to be right. It’s just the truth! If there are such things as absolute facts, then the person with the greater depth of knowledge, experience, and variety has a better shot than someone who’s only ever seen one planet or dimension. That’s nearly always going to be me.

Don’t - I don’t know the phrase, hold on-

Oh, right! Don’t salt me. It’s only that I’m older than you and we’re playing a numbers game. On a long enough timeline with the same gifts, you’d have me on an equal footing.

And statistics be damned, there is always that spark of genius and wonder that lets people shoot beyond what’s “likely.” It’s exciting to be proven wrong! That means there is something new to learn! And who KNOWS what else you don’t know? There’s so much of it! You’ll never run out! Isn’t that wonderful?

24. How do you feel about tears? Are they cowardly and weak? Do you cry? Would you consider that shameful?

No, never shameful, not in a thousand years, not from anyone. It only means that you must be feeling something very strong, so strong that you’re physically moved. I certainly cry! And weep and wail and gnash my teeth, when the situation calls for it.

I do find I don’t cry as often as I once did. Larger hurts turn into deep heartaches as I’ve gotten older. I don’t think it is a sign that I’ve grown stronger, only that the further across the spectrum you’ve felt, the more other pains are put into perspective. It’s a little harder to cry over skinned knees when you’ve broken an arm, n'est-ce pas?

[jooheongif]

it's theory anon,hi!!how are YOU?i'm really good rn thanks:)) thank you for your kindness again,i'm really happy i could somehow help to help you feel even a tiny bit better and hope you're doing well now,too(and it's ok to not rest on your day off but it's also ok to do so if that's what you feel is right for you atm!).about the mf(ilm), i thought the same thing, it felt like a parallel universe type of story!i also really love plotlines about friendship, (again cont.i'll try to be briefer!)

(i’m so sorry i wrote a rly long reply so i’m gonna put this under read more !!)

2. friendship is beautiful and i feel oftentimes underappreciated(but not mx!there they go again being amazing) so i love the concept. personally i like not knowing what exactly the producers were thinking because having my own interpretation of something and seeing other ppl have their own fills me with wonder,like,that's art!so many people think so many different things and no one's wrong i love it!!your thoughts about them appreciating everything they've done so far,you're absolutely right(cont) 3. i hope they are able to bc everything's so hectic for the.i get lost just looking at their official schedule,i don't know how they do it but i also hope they are aware of all these things bc those are all mindblowingly huge accomplishments in my opinion and i just want them to feel like their hard work is worth it,yknow?(is this comprehensible?)and i know they feel pressure because as you said the business is nasty but yea i hope at the end of the day they can feel like (cont.???again 4. everything they've put so much of themselves into is worth it,i love their energy and fierce determination and i just don't want them to lose it but maybe as you said feel less pressured..but then the only way would realistically be to make sure they get awarded in the Real World so we're all doing our best in the system&hating it as you said:/ they just mean so much to so many people i want them to feel that too!i try to contain myself but here i go again! sorry it's so long AND i have more(con 5. also!thank you for your big reply and sharing your thoughts i mostly just agreed with (but you're right so what else can i do),i don't have mbb friends to vent to and fanperson(is there a gender neutral term for fanboy/fangirl?) over mx with and this is really nice and fulfilling(again,if i'm boring you,you can just delete the messages and not reply!) so THANKS!it's great to strive to be a better person but i feel like one(you) should also acknowledge the good things they're already doing(cont?) 6. you showed such pure kindness and really melted someone's(my) heart and that's a Big Deal!djkghddgwe can agree that we both inspired each other :') also please i feel like you're such a wonderful soul and you really deserve every bit of gratitude and appreciation i managed to express(i feel a lot moreprobably) so!yeah!reminder that you're lovely and deserve to be appreciated and i'm also very,very happy you're here!you made my day brighter for the 2nd time now wow!thanks! i hope you and(cont.:() 7. your gorgeous heart are taking good care and enjoying your day/night! and this cb!i really like it i haven't had time to listen to the entire album but jealousy!is a bop honestly it's my type of jam and the choreo is stunning and so are their voices!iwas so skeptical about the lyrics(they could've been like hero or stuck and those made me a bit >:/ honestly) but i really should've known they wouldn't fail me in any way ever!i can't wait to hear the rest of the songs i hope you enjoy them too!bye

hi theory anon, it's nice to hear from u again ! firstly, i am so sorry for the slow reply to this ! but im rly glad to know that u are doing good :-) i'm doing ok too thank u !! how are u ? kfjjfdsjfdf sorry that u had to read my tags but thank u for saying that !! i just feel so guilty when i do nothing bc im absolutely terrified of time passing too quickly ? just the thought of letting a few minutes go to waste is overwhelming ? even though i know it's not rational to think like this but ??? theres just this constant feeling that im running out of time so i try to get rid of it by always doing smth ?? and feel bad when i dont ? idk ?? but anyway im working on it and ill be ok ! sorry..not to be dramatic and tmi and all that kjdfdj istg this blog gives me too much freedom to say...too much :( (hope the internet folks that collect metadata never read the garbage i write bc..yikes they aren't gonna hav the best time) anyway..yea. what a paragraph to start off this reply :( sorry for the honesty and saying so much all the time btw :( not that being honest is necessarily a bad thing but ! idk every time i write smth i suddenly feel extra self conscious and feel like deleting it bc im rly embarrassed and always end up having big regret later when i reread anything ive typed up !! but i just keep writing them anyway bc...idk ?? i'd rly hate it if someone got discouraged from sharing their thoughts/worries/feelings which i think is a rly important human thing :( so  yea im rly embarrassed w anything i write but i'll keep doing it anyway bc i'm all for that kind of stuff and sometimes i know its not easy and it takes someone a lot to share that and its a good thing and i dont ever want anyone to feel discouraged from doing that ! anyway i just felt like i rly needed to say all of this..but pls dont feel obliged to reply to this mess !! anyway back to mx ! you are right :( i also hope mx feel like what they've done is worth smth w/e their definition or standard of that is :( like.. all of the hard work they've put into being mx it certainly means so much to fans but i hope all the hard work they've put into being mx also means smth to them at the end of the day and they are happy w what they're doing and what they've achieved so far :( and yes we'd love mx to always be rewarded in the real world :( though we love them and we want to get them a win, i know that everyone has their commitments, means and different circumstances and we can only do so much :( but even if u think its just a small contribution, everything adds up and counts and i know that all mbb hav contributed in some way in helping them get another win for this cb ! there are some mbb who can't buy albums or streaming passes and things and i hope they don't feel bad for this :( even if all you can do is watch the mv once or twice, even if you could only vote, i hope you know that it all counts and matters !! abt mx's schedule, i get tired just by looking at their weekly one idk how they can even put up w it all ?? after this they'll hav their japanese album and things and then they'll have their concerts and on top of all that apparently [some of them are also studying] ????? they are so hardworking :( HOW do they do it !! just..thinking abt their schedule is overwhelming !!! also pls dont think that you're boring me or anything like that :( im so thankful for any msg i receive and the fact that u actually took the time to type out smth to send to me ?? im so grateful ?? u are never boring !! honestly even if u sent me a stainless steel dishwasher manual w the page length of like..23 bibles, i'd still love u for it and i'd prob read all of it :( btw thank u sm for saying all those kind things !!! receiving kindness for the 3rd time is rly !!!!!!! and once again i've done nothing to deserve it :( i dont even know what i can say to you that will ever be enough to thank u again or to top what u hav already said ! if there was like a...maslows hierarchy of kindness of smth, ur at the very top of that triangle and anything i say will never be as kind as what you have said !! for you, i can agree that we both inspired each other :-) but really thank u so much from the bottom of my heart :( i hope you know how kind and lovely u are too ! if nobody told u this today, i wanted to say that im rly grateful to know u and i'm happy that you're here !! thank u again for being so kind and thoughtful and for making me smile !! :( same, i havent properly listened to the whole album either bc ive just been letting it stream in the background (but i dont count that as a proper listen unless i listen w headphones tbh) ill give it a good listen one day ! also im a repeat 1 kind of garbage person until i feel the need to listen to a new song ?? and rn jealousy to me is a song that gets better w every listen ??? shes too powerful atm :( one day ill listen to another song but today is not that day ! Actually.....I think jealousy is my fav mx song ???? before this cb i didnt hav a fav bc i couldnt pick the song i liked most out of blue moon/blind/fighter/incomparable. i was just gonna base it off the one w the most play count out of those 4 but now i know its jealousy ! what are ur fav mx songs ?? btw i know im always saying that anything mx releases is always a masterpiece no matter what, but in all seriousness its ok if u didn't like smth they released. i don't think it makes u any less of a mbb if u didn't enjoy a certain release or if u only liked one aspect of a thing but not so much the rest of the thing. anyway not to sound so...stale and commonplace but for lack of a better word/sentence, at the end of the day your own reactions and feelings to a piece of art like music...it's all just subjective isnt it ?? not liking that thing doesnt mean that its not a masterpiece or its any less of a masterpiece to someone else either so !! it's ok !! anyway this is rly....ive written a lot and its all over the place and incoherent probably :( i'm sorry !! feel free to reply whenever u feel like it, or no pressure on never replying at all btw ! also feel free to disagree w anything i say ! thank u sm for talking to me abt mx bc ive also got no mbb friends so !!! thank you :( theres so many times where i rly want to start a conversation w someone but im too scared and also i've got no clue abt how to initiate conversation ! and the times when i do manage to...i get stuck on how to keep the conversation going ? but when i figure smth out then im coming for u @ friendship !! i hope u had a good weekend and that you got some rest and that ur doing ok wherever u are !! until next time, take care ❤️❤️❤️

[sagittariusboyfriend]

so i broke up with my ex in january 2019. i thought it was october 2018 tbh but im a horrible horrible human being i suppose, either that or my mind was already single by then

and i say that in the most honest way possible. i was a shitty boyfriend. i wasnt a shitty person, just a shitty boyfriend. not in the abusive way, of course, but i wasnt in love, i was cheating (again, and thats a fucking story in itself), and i was only able to treat my ex as a friend - when i wasnt disgusted by him. and thats so fucking harsh and vile of me to say, because it has NOTHING to do with him or who he is or what he looks like. it just has to do with me and how i wasnt ever in love with him, how he was a rebound gone way too far, and an illusion of me having what i Wanted & Needed after the (then) actual love of my life had crushed me to bits. my ex was, of course, not what i wanted nor needed - i needed to be fucking single. jesus fucking CHRIST did i need to be single. but who wouldnt jump on the first train to come along with kind words and flattery. i just... wish i hadnt taken it so goddamn far.

it was my own fucking fault that i had to start drinking on my own every night to deal with the hurt and who i had become, what i had lost (or what i thought the meaning of "lost" was at the time), what i was doing to someone i cared for, etc. because, i mean, of course i cared and still care for my ex, but as a friend. nothing more. friendship to me still means every ounce of love i have, but the platonic kind. and thats the only kind of love that someone who is madly, deeply infatuated and in love with you, cant handle.

so i understand that hes mad. and sad, and grieving, and acting crazy, and all of that. ive been there too, i lived unrequited love for six years (on top of gaslighting and dealing with someones projections of their own self-hatred onto me, thank fuck thats over). all im saying is i understand him, and i still care for him, and i know hes going through the phases of sorrow and heartache. and im so sad that he hates me right now, because i know he only has love for me in his heart. same as i do for him - the platonic kind. i have certainly gone out of my way to make it easier for him, ive bent over backwards to literally do as much as i only could on his terms, laid flat to every command, just to ease his heartache. supported him as much as i could in him getting over me, which has been a very weird thing.

so, this week hes mad at me. honestly, i havent paid him much mind because i am so roped up in my current love i cant even see past my bubble most days. i feel shitty about that, but if i was grieving this breakup as much as he is, i wouldnt have broken up to begin with. thats just the cold truth.

i was on instagram, ive turned off his stories etc so i only get limited exposure - mostly for his sake. i know it only prolongs the suffering if the person you want the most to see your posts is actually looking at them. and ive seen him make stories obviously about me, crying, almost pleading, and now when he realizes im not looking at them he turns to the main posts instead. like, dont get me wrong, i am so fucking guilty of vague-posting about someone, im sooo fucking guilty of desperately trying to catch someones attention through instagram posts, so fucking guilty of all of that behavior, so i cant say shit about it. but ive realized now that those posts actually hurt. so i unfollowed him. he posted this random picture where the text said "take me back so i can dump you" and i was like. alright. hands up, ive done what i can by now, ive been so understanding and nice and catered to your every need because i fucking care about you. in the end i just wanted out of a relationship that wasnt working for me, was hurting us both in the long run and i had stopped being in love, if i ever even was, so i had to stop all the hurt. thats also a reality. i was also standing between him and the actual love of his life, whom i am so sure he'll meet one day.

it hurts though, because he was my best friend. well, he wanted me as his partner, but i was his friend also. its harder losing friends than boyfriends i think. to me it is, anyway. regardless; i hope he will heal soon and i wish him well. im not going to stick around for the inevitable hate lash-outs that have already started coming because i care for him and the relationship we had as friends too much. but i get it. you have to go through the stages. i hope hes gonna come out on the other side, stronger and healthier.

but until then im way too busy loving fully to pay him more mind. im having the time of my life with someone who i feel is the actual love of my life.

im so goddamn happy now and im going to focus on that. ☀️💕

[travisandersondatingblog]

What is Gaslighting? 11 Red Flag Signs He’s Manipulating You

You keep hearing this term “gaslighting,” and you’re wondering about it. People have even told you that you’re being gaslit. So…what IS gaslighting?

In a Nutshell: What is Gaslighting?

What is gaslighting, and are you a victim?

Essentially, with gaslighting, a person, usually a romantic partner, denies the validity of things you know you’re experiencing.

“You’re imagining things. You didn’t see me with another woman.”

“I never said that!”

“You’re being paranoid.”

Usually, the people gaslighting their partners are sociopaths or narcissists. It’s about power: by making you feel like you’re wrong or going crazy, you rely on that person more. He feels like he has more control over you.

Cheaters gaslight. So do men who emotionally or physically abuse women. But not all men who gaslight cheat or abuse women, so don’t let that be the only sign that you look for. I’ll tell you some really good signals to watch out for in a minute.

Gaslighting is dangerous because this person who you trust causes you to lose touch with reality. You start to question everything and doubt yourself. You may lose self-confidence and feel like you’ll never find a relationship better than this.

I’m here to tell you that if you’re being gaslit, you absolutely deserve and can find a better man who respects and loves you. This man isn’t it!

The origin of the term “gaslighting” actually comes from a 1938 play, as well as the adapted movie in 1944, called “Gas Light.”  In it, a husband manipulates his wife to make her think she’s actually losing her sanity so he can commit her to a mental institution and steal her inheritance. If you’re living this reality, this might be a horror movie for you!

Types of Gaslighting

There are several ways a man can gaslight you.

There are several types of gaslighting, so when you ask, “what is gaslighting,” you may get several answers depending on who you ask. Each is valid, and you may actually experience more than one type.

Withholding

“What are you talking about? That makes no sense. Why are you trying to turn this situation around on me?”

He pretends he doesn’t understand you or refuses to listen. The more you talk to him, the more confused you get because he’s acting like you’re confusing him!

Countering

“That’s not how it happened. You never remember things correctly.”

In this type of gaslighting, he tells you that your memory of a situation or event is wrong. He makes you doubt what you know you remember.

Blocking/Diverting

“Who put that idea into your head? I’m sick of talking about this.”

If he changes the subject or tells you that you’re imagining things, he’s gaslighting you.

Trivializing

“Why are you so sensitive? This isn’t worth getting upset over.”

This guy belittles your feelings, especially when they involve anger or frustration toward him. He makes you feel like you’re overreacting…but I’m telling you: you probably aren’t.

Forgetting/Denial

“You’re totally making that up. I never said that!”

He flat out denies what you know happened. Maybe you know he swore he’d pay you for the concert tickets you bought and now he’s telling you that you said you’d pay for them.

11 Signs Your Partner is Gaslighting You

via GIPHY

Now that I’ve answered the question “what is gaslighting” a bit (though we could talk about it for hours!), let’s look at a few signs you can keep an eye out for to figure out if the guy you’re dating is gaslighting you.

1. He Tells You That You’re Imagining Things

Okay, so you know you saw the guy you’re dating kiss another woman at a party. But he’s telling you that you’re crazy. He says he was just leaning over to tell her something, and you thought he was kissing her.

Uh-uh. Not only did you see it with your own two eyes, but your gut is also screaming that this guy is lying.

2. He Says You’re Overreacting

Every time you get upset about something (and that seems to be happening more and more as you’re dating this guy), he tells you that you’re making way too big a deal out of it.

Like the time he stood you up and you waited at the restaurant for an hour. He didn’t think that was a big deal and doesn’t get why you’re fuming.

Let me just say that, whether this guy is gaslighting you or not, you are entitled to your feelings. If he pisses you off, you can be pissed off. And you can tell him how you feel. The fact that he’s uncomfortable with your anger is not your problem.

3. Your Confidence is Dwindling

You used to consider yourself a fairly confident woman, but now you question everything you say or do. You may not even realize that the man you’re with is the cause.

Craig Malkin, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and author of the book Rethinking Narcissism: The Secret to Recognizing and Coping with Narcissists, says that gaslighting is “an extremely dangerous form of emotional abuse because it undermines your self-confidence.”

You have to ask yourself: which would you rather have, your self-confidence or a man that makes you feel like crap?

4. He Always Wants the Upper Hand

In your past relationships, you were the one with a little more power (it’s normal for there to be a slight imbalance in every relationship), so it’s a bit surprising to you that in this relationship, he’s got it. And he fights to have that upper hand.

Whether it’s him picking where you eat every single time (a girl can only eat so much Thai food), having the last say in every argument, or vetoing your choice of movie, you feel like your opinion doesn’t matter. And you’re right. Because if he’s getting his way, he’s happy.

5. He Makes You Feel Not Good Enough

“I’m the best thing that will ever happen to you. You’d be a fool to leave.”

The fact that this man feels the need to tell you that means that he doesn’t think that you’d believe it otherwise. I mean, you’d know if he was the best thing ever, right? And the fact that he’s trying to make you think you’ll never find better just goes with the fact that he wants you under his thumb.

He may even tell you that you’re not pretty or smart enough for another man, and that he’s doing you a favor by staying with you.

Say whaaaaat??

This is unacceptable. A true partner lifts you up and makes you feel incredible. That, in turn, makes you happy to be with him…no threat needed.

6. He Seems Like Two Different People

Maybe the reason you’re Googling “what is gaslighting” right now is because when he’s great, he’s great. But when he’s terrible…that’s when you think you might need to leave him.

A gaslighter (as well as a sociopath or narcissist) is really good at the whole Jekyll and Hyde routine. He’ll woo you with flowers…and then tell you that you’re crazy. He strings you along just enough that you want to stay, hoping the good version will come out more.

Realize that the good side of him is an act and that the darker side is his true self.

7. You Feel Confused When You’re With Him

I’ve worked with women who describe dating a gaslighter like being on a carousel. Everything is spinning around until they’re dizzy and don’t know what way is up when they talk to this man. You might start a conversation about how he never spends time at your place and then the conversation ends with him criticizing your financial habits. WTF?

He’s great at deflecting criticism directed toward him, which can make for a confusing conversation.

8. You Find Yourself Apologizing a LOT

Part of that whole carousel thing happens when you start out upset about something he’s done and then ending up apologizing for something you’ve done. He’s adept at turning around an argument so that you feel guilty and at fault…and forget about whatever it is that you were mad about.

Now look, I’m not saying you’re faultless in every argument. But look back over your relationship: has he ever apologized to you for any of his shortcomings? I’m willing to bet he hasn’t…or not often and sincerely.

9. You’re Not Happy But Feel Like You Can’t Leave

He’s making you feel unworthy.

Whether they’ve used the term gaslighting or not, your friends have been telling you for a while that this guy is bad news. They see how he treats you and they see how unhappy you are. And you know they’re right…only you can’t bring yourself to end the relationship.

Why? Likely because he’s made you feel like you’ll be even more miserable without him. Maybe he talks about how there are a ton of skeevy guys on dating apps or how, because you’re not 20 anymore, you’ll have trouble finding a quality man.

Realize that this is his messaging, not yours. He has an ulterior motive for making you feel like you shouldn’t leave him. I have nothing to gain by telling you the truth: you can and will find someone who treats you right. You don’t have to put up with this emotional abuse.

10. He Turns Things Around on You

Maybe he doesn’t criticize you…unless you’re expressing your frustration with him. All of a sudden, you’re full of flaws and have committed any number of mistakes in this relationship.

Realize that this is a defense mechanism. He can’t accept that he’s done anything wrong at all, and so emotionally pushes back on you and pours out every little grievance he has about you.

The best thing you can do is not absorb his criticism. You know your areas of weakness in a relationship, and certainly, you should work on them. But don’t let him tell you how awful you are…because it isn’t true.

11. He Says You Don’t Trust Him

This one is especially true for cheaters who gaslight. Let’s say you found out that he cheated, but you decide to stay. Of course, whenever anything suspicious comes up (a woman calls asking for him without identifying herself; you find a pair of women’s sunglasses in his car), he makes a big stink about how you don’t trust him. If you can’t trust him, why are you even with him?? He ends up making you apologize and assure him that yes, you do trust him, and you must have misunderstood that pair of panties you found in his bed!

You either trust him or you don’t. He probably is right that you don’t…but you have good reason not to, so don’t let him move you away from evidence that he can’t be trusted.

What to Do If He’s Gaslighting You

Feeling trapped? It’s up to you to change the situation.

Okay, so we’ve answered “what is gaslighting,” and we’ve looked at 11 signs that the man you’re dating is, in fact, gaslighting you. The big question is: what are you going to do about it? Depending on how long you’ve been with this guy, it may not be so simple to just walk away. So let’s look at some easier steps you can take before it comes to that.

Realize That You’re Not Crazy

If you find yourself wondering fairly frequently, “am I crazy??” I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that you’re not. People that are mentally unbalanced aren’t usually aware of it. Especially if you’ve only wondered this as long as you’ve been dating this man.

If you feel grounded in reality with every other person in your life, then you’re okay. If you don’t confuse facts or get things wrong with your friends and family, then clearly it’s this guy causing the problems.

So take a deep breath. You’re not crazy. You’re totally okay…and about to get more okay as you deal with this stressful situation.

Write Down Conversations

The quickest way to nip an argument in the bud where he’s telling you that you remembered something wrong is to have written evidence. If he says he’ll do something, take a quick note in your phone. Put the date and time he said it, and what he said. Heck, record him saying it! See how he weasels out of that one!

Then when he starts to tell you that you’re wrong, pull out your notes.

Don’t Engage in an Argument

This type of person seems to thrive on arguing, so your best course of action is not to engage him in it. He gets a high from putting you down and telling you all the things you’re doing wrong. If you don’t engage, he has no fodder.

Understand That He Isn’t the Right Guy for You

By now, I feel like you know this. You are an incredible woman and worthy of attracting a man who values your opinion and never tries to squash you. There may have been good qualities about this guy initially, but now he’s different. You can’t go back to the way things were (if they ever really were good), so it’s best if you can let go of the idea that things will improve.

Know That You WILL Be Better Off Without Him

I know that dating (especially for those in your 40s or later) is no picnic sometimes. I know that you might feel like staying in this relationship is better than the alternative. But that’s just because you can’t see what’s coming up for you. And I know for a fact that even better things are in your future!

Quite honestly, wouldn’t you rather be on your own with no one criticizing you or making you feel insane? I think you would.

Conclusion:

What you do now is up to you, but my suggestion is that you break up with this man and focus on rebuilding your self-confidence. Know that out there is a great man who would love to treat you right.

Let me hear from you in the comments: do you think you’re being gaslit? What signs is he showing that he’s gaslighting you?

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The post What is Gaslighting? 11 Red Flag Signs He’s Manipulating You appeared first on Sexy Confidence.

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