Modern Psychology Might Be the Biggest Gaslighter of All

I know there are exceptions, but for the most part, psychology has always accommodated culture. The American Psychiatric Association once considered homosexual and transexual behavior detrimental to one’s well-being, but they've changed their minds.

 

They once stressed our need for self-control, humility, and reconciliation. Now they stress self-esteem, pride, and boundaries. And they love using exaggerated terms such as "gaslighters." 

The internet boasts scores of articles with titles like “9 Toxic Phrases Gaslighters Always Use,” suggesting we can stereotype people according to a single sentence. 

 

Popular Boundaries teachings claim: “Gaslighting is a form of manipulation, and if you’re hurting, something isn’t right. Your feelings are a gift, and they serve as signals to inform you of what’s happening to you and how to respond. If someone is trying to take away from your experience, you are being gaslighted” (source).

 

Scripture teaches the opposite. Our feelings are not reliable, and they can't be trusted (Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 28:26). Disagreement and correction are normal aspects of life (Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 26:12; Proverbs 27:17; Proverbs 9:8; Proverbs 12:1; Ephesians 4:32). And we all feel uncomfortable or unhappy at times.

Millions of people are trusting their feelings, blaming their problems on others, playing the victim, and demonizing friends and family members with stereotypes like “gaslighter.”

We need to wake up and realize that modern psychology is the real gaslighter. Let's trust God, not man.

 

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For more on this subject, see: Trust Your Heart? and No One Should Make You Feel Guilty.

Note: Gaslighting originally meant a person trying to make another person think they were crazy. Now it means anyone who corrects you, tells you that you're overreacting, tells you that you're being too negative, or suggests that you might not be seeing things correctly. 

I realize that some psychologists do not promote blame-shifting, stereotyping, and exaggerated explanations, but they are a small minority. It's even hard to find “Christian” counselors who don't buy into things that contradict Scripture. So be very careful what you read and whose advice you follow. 

Pertinent passages: 

Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”  

Proverbs 28:26: “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.” 

Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 26:12: “Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.” 

Proverbs 9:8: “Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.”

Proverbs 12:1: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”

 

Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Bible Love Notes