7 Ways to Identify Manipulative Behavior
It can be difficult to identify manipulative behavior because people who manipulate tend to get their own way very subtly, without making much noise. Here are a few ways in which you can identify manipulative behavior and stop it from affecting you negatively.
1. Using praise to get something done
Receiving genuine praise occasionally can be very pleasant. But if you find yourself getting praise from someone very often for no real reason, you should look for signs of manipulative behavior in them. Such people tend to use praise to come into others’ good books and then misuse the trust to get their own way.
2. Emotional blackmail
Emotional blackmail is a very commonly known technique used by people with manipulative behavior. It can be a very subtle yet strong way of getting someone to do something that you want. If a person makes you do or say something that you don’t really feel convinced about, they could have a manipulative attitude.
3. Strategically using sympathy and guilt
Manipulation often comes masked under sympathy and guilt. Just because someone is feeling guilty or tells you about their sad life story, it doesn’t mean they are genuine. They may want to gain your sympathy to get you to willingly do something that you may not have done otherwise. If sympathy and goodness of heart is what you would feel, then it may exactly be the sort of thing that manipulative people can take advantage of.
4. Talking behind your back
Manipulative people often tend to be sources of rumor, gossip and half baked conversations which they strategically use to gain advantage over others. If someone confides in you too much, they may be doing so only to make you feel comfortable enough to open up to them. And once you open up, such people may typically talk about your story behind your own back.
