Having been around many sociopaths during my time here on Earth, I’ve become quite keen to the tactics they use and how capable they are at getting what they want from others.  

People who enjoy manipulating others are a special breed, and they’re constantly looking for people to take advantage of.  They excel at recognizing the emotional state of certain individuals and playing to their weaknesses, making them very dangerous creatures.

Here are five ways to tell that someone is trying to manipulate you:

They’ve tried to do it before with you or someone else

If this person has been known to lie and manipulate then chances are they’re still doing it.  Maybe you or a friend have caught them in the midst of a lie before, maybe they come off as generally negative people, maybe they’ve perpetuated a rumor..

Whatever it is, if they have a history of poor behavior, it’s because they think they can continue acting this way as no one else is wise enough to catch on.

Things are moving quickly

The best way for a person to manipulate others is by showing a false sense of interest.  They lure you in, make you think they’re interested, and then create some sort of bond.  

The best way to tell if a person is trying to manipulate you is to look for indications that they’re worried about a specific outcome.  Most manipulators have a tough time distinguishing their associations, meaning it will quickly become obvious that they have an ulterior motive once it comes into question.

They’re using your emotions

Again, many of these people are apt at recognizing a person’s emotions and then using them to their advantage.  Seduction is largely the most common way they do this.  Friendships, relationships, partnerships–they love to bring people in and then force them to focus on the things they want.

They’re impatient

Oftentimes the manipulator will become highly impatient, becoming annoyed with the thought that their plans might not come to fruition.  Impatience is typically associated with the delayed achievement of one’s goals.  So, hindering this pursuit makes them highly impatient.  

An additional aspect of this is their need to be in control.  When they’re not in control they become irritated and frustrated.  

You always end up the ‘bad guy’

One of the best tools that a manipulator uses to snake their way through uncomfortable situations is turning things upside down.  They’ll twist words, ideas and any other piece of emotional collateral in order to shift blame from themselves to literally anyone else.  

They do this so well that most people will actually start to believe that they are in the wrong.  Pay close to attention the things they say, as small details will often change with each iteration of the story.

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This blog post has been reproduced with the permission of Expanded Consciousness. The original blog post can be found here. The views expressed by the author are not necessarily endorsed by this organization and are simply provided as food for thought from Intellectual Takeout.

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