Okay, so, today I wanted to mess around with something a little different, something a bit dark, you know? It’s called “dark psychology,” specifically gaslighting and manipulation. I’ve heard these terms thrown around, but I never really dug into what they meant or how they worked. So, I thought, why not try it out myself and see what happens? Not to actually hurt anyone, of course, just to understand it better.
Starting Point
First, I needed someone to practice on. I decided to start with my roommate, Mark. We’ve known each other for years, and he’s a pretty laid-back guy. I figured he wouldn’t take things too seriously, and we could laugh about it later. I had to be careful, though. I didn’t want to mess up our friendship or make him feel truly bad.
The Setup
I started small. I moved his keys from the usual spot on the kitchen counter. Just a few feet away, to the coffee table. He came in looking for them, a bit puzzled.
- “Hey, have you seen my keys?” he asked.
- “Your keys? Weren’t they on the counter?” I replied, acting confused myself.
- “Yeah, they were. That’s weird, I always put them there, never on the coffee table.” he said.
- “Maybe you’re just tired. You’ve been working a lot lately,” I suggested.
He shrugged it off, found them on the coffee table, and went on with his day. That was easy.
Escalation
Next, I tried something a bit more involved. I borrowed his favorite book, the one he’s been reading for weeks. I hid it in my room. Later that day, he noticed it was missing.
- “Man, where’s my book?” he muttered, searching his room.
- “Your book? The one you were reading yesterday? I saw you with it last night in your room,” I said, confidently.
- “No, I read it in the living room after dinner. I remember.” He sounded certain.
- “Really? I don’t recall that at all. Are you sure you weren’t just thinking about reading it?” I planted the seed of doubt.
He started doubting himself, questioning his own memory. “Maybe… I don’t know. My memory’s been off lately,” he admitted. This is where it got interesting. I was actually making him question his own recollection of events.
The Manipulation
I kept at it for a few days, subtly manipulating small things. I changed the settings on his computer, denied conversations we definitely had, and even “misremembered” plans we made. Each time, I acted confused, concerned, or even slightly annoyed that he was getting things “wrong.”
- “Dude, why is my computer background different?” he asked one morning.
- “What do you mean? It’s always been that way,” I lied, straight-faced.
- “No way, I changed it last week. Remember, we were talking about how ugly the default one was?” he said.
- “We did? I don’t remember that conversation. Are you feeling okay? You seem stressed,” I countered, adding a layer of concern.
It was working. He started to rely on my version of events more and more. He became less sure of himself, more hesitant. He was looking to me to validate his own experiences.
The Realization
Honestly, it was a little scary how easy it was to mess with his head. I felt a weird mix of power and guilt. I could see how this could be used for real harm. It’s like, you have control over someone else’s reality, and that’s a heavy thought.
Stopping the Experiment
I decided to end it after a week. I couldn’t keep doing it. It felt wrong. I sat him down and explained everything. Showed him where I hid his book, told him about the keys, the computer, everything.
- “Dude, seriously?” He was shocked, but then he started laughing. “You’re such a jerk!”
- “I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just wanted to see how this whole gaslighting thing worked,” I explained.
- “Well, you definitely got me. I was starting to think I was losing it,” he admitted.
We talked about it, and thankfully, he wasn’t mad. He was actually kind of fascinated by the whole thing. But we both agreed it was messed up and not something to be taken lightly. I cleaned up his computer back to how it should be, and then we watched TV and let it go.
Final Thoughts
This whole experiment was eye-opening. Gaslighting and manipulation are real, and they’re powerful. It’s scary how easily someone can be made to doubt themselves. I learned a lot, but most importantly, I learned that I never want to use these tactics in a real-life situation. It’s just not right. It’s important to be aware of these things, both to protect yourself and to make sure you’re not doing it to others, even unintentionally.
