Moonwalking – Criticism Followed by Blame for Overreacting

Moonwalking is a sophisticated but effective psychological abuse technique that shares the same purpose as gaslighting: to wear the other person down. It consists of criticizing something about one’s partner, getting them to lose their cool, and then accusing or ridiculing them for their reaction. It’s an emotional blow just to get a response and be able to belittle afterward. Drs. John and Julie Gottman are two therapists and psychologists who’ve done most of the research on the effects of criticism on emotional relationships. They don’t censure a person’s right to complain. However, complaints become criticism when expressed in an…