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7 Lines people use to manipulate others that you should know
“If You Do This For Me, I’ll Know You Really Care”
This manipulative comment preys on their need to demonstrate affection and loyalty by creating a sense of duty and guilt in the target if they fail to comply with the manipulator’s request. This gives the victim a false impression of power over the relationship by putting emotional pressure on them to comply with the manipulator’s requests. Actually, it is a ploy to take advantage of the benevolent nature of the target and force them to do something that is in their interest or what they would like to do. This is a red flag for emotional blackmail.
“Are You Sure You Want To Do That?“
This interrogation, which appears benign at first glance, is intended to intentionally sow doubt and ambiguity in the mind of the target. The manipulator questions the person’s decisions or choices in an attempt to undermine the person’s sense of autonomy and self-worth. They foster an atmosphere of reluctance and self-doubt, which increases the target’s openness to the manipulator’s advice and influence. This strategy has the potential to increase the manipulator’s influence over the target over time by making them rely more on their judgment and seek their permission before making any decisions.
“You’re Just Being Irrational“
When confronted with opposing thoughts, feelings, or concerns, the manipulator writes off the target’s feelings and ideas as illogical or unjustified. The goal of this strategy is to make the person less self-confident and less able to rely on their own judgment. The manipulator attempts to minimize the target’s experiences and question their sensibilities by dismissing their feelings as unrealistic.
As a result, the person may doubt their own thoughts and feelings and ultimately become more dependent on the manipulator’s point of view. By using this control strategy, the manipulator can gain the upper hand in the relationship and influence the interaction or situation to their advantage. A power imbalance in the relationship can occur as the target becomes increasingly susceptible to the manipulator’s influence over time.
“I Never Said/Did That”
The approach used here is to deny or gaslighting the target’s memories or experiences. Even if that were true, the master of emotional manipulation would vehemently deny ever speaking or acting in the way they are accused when questioned about them. The manipulator gaslights the victim and causes them to question their memory, perspective and sanity.
The sufferer becomes confused and doubts themselves, wondering if their memories are real or exaggerating. As a result, the manipulator is able to exert more control over the plot and avoid responsibility for their harmful actions. The manipulator’s power and influence over the target may increase over time as the target begins to doubt themselves and become more dependent on their version of events.
“I Thought You Of All People Would Understand”
The purpose of this remark is to intimidate and coerce the target into complying or agreeing. The manipulator tries to make the target feel compelled to comply with their request or endorse their point of view by making an appeal to their feeling of trust, empathy, or friendship.
This phrase implies that the manipulator thought they had a unique tie or connection, therefore the target’s rejection or disagreement is shocking and devastating. In an attempt to preserve the imagined unique relationship, the target becomes defensive and is more likely to change their mind or act against their own emotions.
Actually, this strategy takes advantage of the target’s emotional weakness and turns their relationship and trust against them in order to get authority or support the manipulator’s goal. By using this statement, the manipulator tries to make the target to feel more emotionally dependent on them and more in control of the relationship by playing on their feelings and sense of loyalty.
“This Always Happens To Me”
Thus, the manipulator presents himself as a victim of his environment or the actions of others by making this claim. By inducing feelings of guilt and pity in the target, they want to feel responsible for the manipulator’s imagined tragedies or situations.
This statement is used by the manipulator to make the victim feel guilty or obligated. The implication is that since the manipulator is always in trouble, the target must intervene and provide assistance or support. This can make the target feel obligated to look out for the manipulator’s well-being or provide emotional support without asking for permission.
It is a tactic used by emotional manipulators to get their way, gain attention, or take advantage of a target’s sympathy. A manipulator can establish a habit in a time dependent manner the target’s assistance with little to no compensation. resulting in the development of an unbalanced and harmful dynamic in the partnership.
“I Told You My Secrets, It’s Only Fair To Tell Me Yours“
By saying this, the manipulator hopes to create a sense of reciprocity and obligation in the target. They appear to be saying that disclosing private information is a sign of commitment and trust. As a result, the target may come off as untrustworthy or insufficiently relevant if they refuse to cooperate.
This strategy exploits the target’s need to be seen as trustworthy and kind, forcing them to provide personal information even when it makes them uncomfortable. The manipulator can then use these details in the future against the victim or by exploiting weaknesses.
In reality, emotional manipulators frequently use this tactic to gain influence over their target and obtain useful data for future manipulation or control. Despite the pressures of deceptive tactics, people should establish appropriate boundaries and disclose personal information only safely and easily.
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