Here’s an obscure Japanese term for you to learn, did you know about “マッチポンプ” or “match pump”? No? Awesome, you’re not wasting your time by being here then. Let me tell you about Japan’s term for profitable gaslighting.
What is “Match Pump” exactly?
“マッチポンプ” literally translates to “match pump” in English. The phrase is a metaphor used to describe a situation where someone creates a problem only to solve it themselves, often for some personal gain or to appear helpful or heroic. Here’s how it works:
- Match: Lighting a match to start a fire, this is when someone creates a problem or chaos.
- Pump: Then, pumping it out by yourself, resolving the problem you’ve just created.
It’s a simple, effective and somewhat elegant word. All in a good gaslighter’s day of work I suppose.
The term was first publicly recorded during a Japanese Diet session in April 11th, 1961 during a House of Representative’s session debating the amendment of the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law.
Examples you’ll see in daily life
To make this concept clearer, let’s look at some everyday scenarios:
- Office Politics: A colleague at work starts a rumor or spreads misinformation, only to later step in as the ‘hero’ that clears up the confusion or solves the issue they created to gain recognition for it.
- Media and News: Sometimes (all the time it seems lately), media outlets might sensationalize a story to create public concern, then later report on the resolution of this “crisis” to maintain viewer engagement. Think of the summer of the shark.
- Politics: Politicians might sometimes create or exacerbate a problem to later propose a solution, thereby gaining public support or appearing proactive.
Why is match pump a problem?
While it might seem like a clever strategy, performing a match pump can lead to several issues:
- Erosion of Trust: When people realize they’ve been manipulated, trust in the individual or organization diminishes.
- Waste of Resources: Time, effort, and resources are spent on problems that might not have existed without the initial act of problem creation.
- Ethical Concerns: It involves deceit or manipulation, which raises ethical questions about the intentions behind the actions.
No need to be long-winded about it, it’s just a dick move isn’t it?
Closing thoughts
The term match pump (マッチポンプ) is fun because it’s a reminder that gaslighting is a universal problem. While it might not always be intentional or malicious, there’s always someone selfish enough to do it for their own gain.
Remember it next time you see someone shows up to “solve” a problem too conveniently after it came up. You might just be dealing with the original culprit.
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