How to understand that you are being manipulated?

Manipulation is defined as follows. It is the social influence of one person on another or a group of people. So that they can agree and accept his beliefs or philosophy. That is, this is when someone dishonestly tries to force you to do as he wants. Signs of manipulation can manifest themselves in different ways. Unfortunately, many of us do not realize that we are being manipulated. The manipulator can do it so well that you won’t even understand why you did it this way and not otherwise. All due to the fact that it happens at a professional level.

Signs of manipulation can often be seen in romantic relationships and in marriage. But it is not only our partners who are manipulating. It could also be a work colleague, family member, or even a neighbor. This is why some of us face various challenges in life and in the workplace. Which makes our job extremely challenging. Because you can be manipulated by your boss or the person who controls you. Therefore, you need to be able to identify situations when they are trying to manipulate you, and immediately get away from it.

1. The person tries to play on your feelings and emotions

Such a person will try to influence your emotions to such an extent that you break down and become helpless. He knows how to get you to agree with him by using your feelings and emotions. And if he notices that you are soft and vulnerable, he will put pressure on you. If you are angry, the manipulator can play on it and turn everything against you. Therefore, keep your emotions in check. Become aware of them and learn to master them. You need to learn to control yourself and your emotions. So that no one else can take possession of them.

2. The person speaks too fast and too much

He will rush you so that you make decisions without thinking, or say what he wants to hear. The manipulator knows that he must act quickly and be persuasive in order for you to take his side. He knows how to do it very well. So be careful when you feel like this is happening. Do not fall for flattering conversations, always listen to your intuition. And you don’t need to be overly open with unfamiliar people.

3. You feel guilty and start to apologize.

He will use various tricks to make you feel guilty. This person is so good at his manipulation that you will begin to trust him completely. But he will never take responsibility for any wrong actions. And if something went wrong between you, or a conflict arose, then only you will be to blame for it. Ultimately, this will lead to the fact that you start to automatically apologize for something that you didn’t even do.

He can be really good at manipulation. And turn the situation around to make you a bad person. His behavior may consist of crying, bouts of frustration, or any other negative emotion that will eventually reach your heart. And you will end up apologizing and desperately trying to do things the way he wants them to. If this is your loved one, then try to remain sensitive to his feelings. But let him know that next time you won’t be affected by his manipulative tears.

4. The person can ignore you

It will intentionally not answer your calls, text messages, emails, or other requests. The manipulator thus gains strength, making you wait, and intends to instill in you doubt and uncertainty. This silent behavior is a game where silence is used as a form of influence. In this case, you need to understand that you have not done anything wrong. It’s just his game, but he is playing it. For your part, you can also ignore it, and stand your ground. Over time, he will change his attitude.

5. He asks a lot of questions.

Signs of manipulation can manifest itself in excessive interest. Many sellers do this when they want to sell something. By asking you general and test questions, they establish basic data about your thinking and behavior. Thanks to which they can assess your interests and preferences. Similar hidden questions can also occur in the workplace, in family life, or in romantic relationships.

6. You are amazed with facts and statistics

Some signs of manipulation are manifested in intellectual bullying. A person can impersonate an expert in certain areas. He can voice various facts, statistics or other data about which you know little. This can happen in a variety of situations. But it is most often used in sales, financial discussions, negotiations and social disputes. Exercising expert power over you, the manipulator wants to push his opinion, or some idea, so that you accept it. Although, there are people who use this technique only to feel a sense of intellectual superiority.

7. Raising your voice and expressing negative emotions

Signs of manipulation can be manifested through the tone in the voice. Some people raise their voices during a discussion. This is a form of aggressive manipulation. The point is that if a person starts talking loudly enough or shows negative emotions, then they psychologically suppress you. As a result, you obey him and do what he says. This type of manipulation is often combined with aggressive body language to enhance the impact on you.

8. Using negative humor

Some manipulators like to make critical remarks. Often disguised as humor or sarcasm. In this way, he tries to make you seem inferior and less protected. Examples would be any comments about your appearance, behavior, or work performed. He wants to make you look like a failure so that you feel insecure. By such actions, the aggressor wants to impose his psychological superiority on you.

Being manipulated is very detrimental to our psyche and self-esteem. Therefore, pay special attention to such signs, and try to avoid people with similar signs of manipulation. Let them know that you understand what they want to achieve and that you should not be manipulated. In the end, the manipulator will lag behind you. Because he will understand that you will no longer be such an easy prey.