I was today-years-old when I looked up the meaning of the term "gaslighting". I know, I know, I'm not woke and it's obvious.
Call me crazy, but I just didn't buy into any of 2020's overwhelming narrative about how we all hate one another and everything is all Black-versus-White, Man-versus-Woman, Republican-versus- Democrat, and Police-versus-Rioters or the other popular narrative that tells us that, in order to actually love someone, we have to go along with this any-one can be any-thing, marry any-thing, and say any-thing- without limits, conditions, or accountability. All of this, of course, unless it has a Biblical approach, in which case- heresy!
I JUST BUY INTO EXACTLY ZERO OF IT.
So I looked up "gaslighting" because I had a hunch I might need to know. According to Google:
gaslight
[ˈɡaslīt]
VERB
gaslighting (present participle)
- manipulate (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity."in the first episode, Karen Valentine is being gaslighted by her husband"
So...manipulating someone into questioning their own sanity...? Interesting. But I needed more, so I looked for "examples of gaslighting":
What are some examples of gaslighting?
"You have an overactive imagination.". "Blocking" and "diverting" are gaslighting techniques whereby the abuser again changes the conversation from the subject matter to questioning the victim's thoughts and controlling the conversation. Gaslighting examples of this include: "I'm not going through that again.".
And this is where it confirmed my suspicions. Let's just say that I, average Joe-Schmoe that I am, decide to unfriend everyone who didn't agree with me about this vaccine. It would be a lesson in narcissism and I would knock out half of my Facebook friends.
Now, imagine that Jennifer Aniston does the same. Only instead of 200 friends being alienated, she's doing so to millions- in theory, I honestly don't know just how many.
My point is this, because she's JENNIFER ANISTON, her narcissistic tendencies (although she is "doing this for the vulnerable", she is still saying, "I'm right, you're wrong- You pay".) are looked at as acceptable. Maybe we should all unfriend everyone we disagree with? Sounds like a really interesting social experiment.
Wait, there's more: BLOCKING, DIVERTING, isn't this part of that Gaslighting thing I just posted up there^^? Is Jennifer not changing the conversation (this is no longer "What do you think of the vaccine? But is now, "Get the vaccine or you are dead to me.") In doing this, she is telling all her followers and everyone who will listen that the unvaccinated people in this world are the ONLY ONES spreading Covid-19 (untrue) and that the only way to protect herself, and the more vulnerable, is to remove all the unvaccinated people in her life- in essence making the victim's (in this case, those whom she unfriends) question their own thoughts (not necessarily a bad thing, btw), by controlling their narrative. (Because you cannot think for yourself, let me tell you what to think- or I write you off- your choice!)
Example: If Jennifer is friends with, idk, Monica, and Monica is of the "don't ask, don't tell" opinion, than Jennifer is giving Monica the boot. She is doing this by letting Monica know that, under no conditions is Monica allowed to think for herself, educate herself, or make the best decision for herself. If Jennifer doesn't agree, Monica is wrong.
Jennifer just gaslit (am I using that term correctly?), Monica.
***
Jennifer Aniston stirred some feelings when she recently said she has
"lost a few people in my weekly routine who have refused or did not disclose"
whether they had been vaccinated against Covid-19.
***
How about this for truth. No One. NOT A SINGLE PERSON, wants Covid-19. Fact. Put it down on paper- that's the most truth you'll read all day. NO ONE WANTS COVID-19.
So why all the different opinions about the vaccine? Because people are educating themselves and -remember, NO ONE WANTS COVID-19- everyone is making the best decisions they can. -Some for, and some against, the vaccine. Contrary to all the Jennifers in the world, THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL
correct answer. There isn't.
So here's what we don't do: We don't alienate people because we disagree with them. We do our best to continue learning from and loving people. Even if we are convinced they are wrong.
And further, because Jennifer is so convinced that she is right, let me do the honors of reminding people what she is so adamantly for:
A vaccine of which we have ZERO IDEA what will transpire in 1, 5, or 10 years.
A vaccine the FDA WILL NOT YET FULLY APPROVE.
A vaccine which DOES NOT prevent you from getting Covid-19, spreading Covid-19, or getting sick and/or dying from Covid-19. (In this article, Jennifer mentions - rather optimistically- "I may get slightly sick but I will not be admitted to a hospital and or die,"- and she is...wrong.) People STILL get terribly sick. People STILL die. -with the vaccine.
A vaccine which may need a second round and, what's this now? Continual BOOSTER SHOTS to keep it relevant.
One more funny thing and then I'll be wrapping this up. I am not so convinced in my unvaccinated-state that I ALONE AM RIGHT. I am open for intelligence. I am open for education. And time. What I am not open to is bigotry. Is gaslighting. Is nastiness.
Jennifer, you either love your friend Monica because she's a great friend and that's enough, or you love yourself, your opinions, your understandings, and your justifications. Although you could have both, friends and opinions, you have drawn a line in the sand saying that you would rather sit in all your perfection and knowledge of all things best for everyone and cast stones at those who don't quite believe like you do.
For you, it may not feel too lonely. But for the average Joe Schmoes out there, this is not an example of how to "do life", or "be a good friend", or "win at everything". For the average Joe Schmoe, if you start casting off friendships when you disagree with someone, you will be lonely and you will sulk behind a computer screen.
Fact: You don't have the luxury to cast stones at anyone.
Don't be a Jennifer, friends. This is a good reminder that Hollywood thinks it owns our minds, but most of us still have our own common sense from which to draw from.
P.S. Dearest reader, I like Jennifer Aniston- I do! I imagine she's actually a really decent person, but she's human. Just as you and I are human. Remember that as you read these articles. We like to give celebrities so much credit, and they like to tell us who to vote for and what to put in our bodies. It's this dangerous power we've given them. But you know what else? It's all just perspective. If you still have a mind, use it. And don't let the Jennifers of the world make you feel bad about it.
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