8 Tricks That Keep You From Being Manipulated

Nov 26, 2018 by apost team

Psychological manipulation occurs when one person attempts to use another individual for their own benefit. This is usually accomplished in a deceptive or abusive manner. It is important to understand how to protect yourself from individuals that wish to gain an advantage through manipulation.

When forced to deal with a manipulative person in any capacity it is important to know your rights. You must know and understand when your rights are being violated. You should also prepare yourself to defend them. Some fundamental rights enjoyed by all people are:

• The right to your own opinion
• The right to be respected
• The right to choose what is important to you
• The right to say no without guilt
• The right to receive what you paid for
• The right to defend yourself against injury of any type.

apost.com

It is not difficult to spot a manipulator. They conduct themselves according to the person with whom they are dealing. While it is normal to adjust behavior to fit a particular situation, the manipulator changes their behavior and actions in a way that is both obvious and sometimes scary.

Manipulators will appear weak in some situations and strong in others. They will be extremely nice to some people and horribly rude to others. The ability to navigate these extremes is a sign of a manipulative personality. It's better to stay away from those individuals. You are not obligated to deal with a person of this nature. It is also not your duty to change them.

Manipulators are great at spotting and exploiting weaknesses. They will cause you to doubt your own worth and feel you should try harder to satisfy them. They are finger pointers that excel at making others feel bad. Do not allow this to happen to yourself. You are not the problem. The attempt is to control you through your thoughts and emotions.

Psychological manipulators make many demands after getting inside your head. You will be expected to satisfy their every whim. They will seek to punish you when you do not. One tactic to use is to shift the focus to the manipulator. Ask them questions like are you serious about this request? Do you think this is fair? Do I have a say in this?

This tactic forces the manipulator to take a peek at themselves. The manipulator that is self-aware will back down when this happens. A manipulator that is also a narcissist will insist their wishes are carried out.

A favorite tactic of manipulators is to force others into fast decisions. They will want to know immediately if you are willing to follow through on any request that is made by them. When you are being pressured in this manner, it is best to put some distance between you and the person. You only need to say that you will think about it.

You should use all the time you need to weigh the positives and negatives of the words spoken to you.

It takes communication skills to say no properly. You must be firm but at the same time spare the feelings of the other person. Learning to do this will provide you with the ability to stand your ground while preserving relationships. It is important to remember you have the right to set priorities of your own. You do not have to feel guilty when saying no.

There will be times when a manipulator won't take no for an answer. There must be consequences when this happens. Articulate the consequences clearly and follow through with them. The manipulative behavior will happen again in the future but you will get a momentary relief.

Manipulators often get their way through intimidation and bullying. They will always attack people they consider weak. If you are passive with them you are a target. But as is typical with all bullies, standing up to them usually will cause them to back down.

Have you ever been the victim of a manipulator? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to pass this article on to your family and friends. They will benefit greatly from this information.