Psychological warfare is the deliberate use of tactics designed to influence, manipulate, and control the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of individuals or groups. It involves the strategic deployment of psychological tactics to achieve specific objectives, often with the goal of weakening the will, confidence, and decision-making abilities of an opponent. Unlike physical warfare, which relies on the use of force and violence, psychological warfare focuses on undermining an adversary's mental state, creating doubt, confusion, fear, or anxiety. The concept of psychological warfare spans across military, political, social, and personal domains, and its methods are utilized to achieve both large-scale and individual objectives.

At its core, psychological warfare operates by exploiting the weaknesses of human perception, beliefs, and emotions. It seeks to manipulate how people think, feel, and act, often in ways that are subtle and hard to detect. Through the strategic use of information, misinformation, fear, and emotional appeals, psychological warfare can alter the course of events and influence outcomes in a way that physical force alone cannot achieve. This manipulation can be direct, as in the use of propaganda, or more covert, as in the use of gaslighting to distort reality and create confusion.

Psychological warfare can be seen in many contexts, from international conflict and military operations to corporate competition, political campaigns, and even personal relationships. For example, in warfare, psychological tactics are employed to break the enemy's morale, instill fear, and create division within their ranks. In the political arena, psychological warfare is often used to manipulate public opinion, spread propaganda, and discredit opponents.