If you have been a victim of a toxic manipulator, then you know painfully well that oftentimes it is immensely hard to recognize if someone is trying to use and control you.
Sadly, some people have mastered the evil art of manipulation so fine that we often become casualties on their way to achieving their wicked goals.
Their moves are usually subtle and relatively unnoticeable. That is exactly why you need to take your time and educate yourself on the main characteristics of master manipulators. By doing so, you will be able to quickly detect their intentions and to protect yourself from falling into their nasty traps.
So, here are 10 warning signs you’re dealing with a master manipulator:
1. Manipulators often show excessive confidence.
As they have already reached a certain level of manipulation experience, suchlike people start believing in themselves a little too much. In their minds, their ways are always the best, and sometimes the only ways to handle specific situations. That’s usually because by dealing with things as they please, the outcomes are mostly in their own favor.
2. They never take responsibility.
Most manipulators are also hidden narcissists. Therefore, both types of people share similar characteristics. Avoiding responsibilities is definitely one of them. Just like narcissists, skillful manipulators usually know exactly what to do or say to avoid being held accountable for their own behavior. Typically, they would try to twist the facts so that you are the one to blame for the unpleasant events that followed their actions. Although this may sound quite senseless to some, if you have already experienced the toxic influence of these individuals, then you surely know what this means.
3. Manipulators are cruel critics.
Unfortunately, one of the ways these controlling creatures use to manipulate their victims is by doing whatever it takes to destroy their self-esteem. As long as this suits their plans, they would shatter your world into pieces, starting by undermining every single thing you do. Disguising their behavior with the pretext of constructive criticism, they would not stop judging and belittle you until they see you crash before their eyes.
4. They will force you into losing yourself.
If you have the horrific faith of becoming a manipulator’s victim, you will most probably be forced into isolating yourself from all the things you love and cherish. Whenever such a toxic individual chooses their prey, they make sure this person is away from anyone and anything that might remind them of who they really are. This includes family, friends, hobbies, work, and everything else that might distract you from obeying their rules.
5. Manipulators know how to bend the truth.
Learning how to twist the truth is one of the key things one masters while on the way to becoming an experienced manipulator. Of course, they only do it in situations where it would be beneficial for their diabolical plans.
6. They blast you with complex statistics and information.
Another key characteristic of manipulators is that they are indeed well-educated. This means that they make sure they know things an ordinary person may not be aware of. They have somehow realized that knowledge is power, but unfortunately, they often use this power for indecent purposes.
7. Manipulators narrow your options to a minimum.
It is in controlling people’s interest for their victims to have no choice but to follow their lead. Therefore, they would often do whatever it takes to limit your options and push you into making decisions that fit their personal needs.
8. They act ignorant whenever it suits them.
By playing the ignorance card, manipulators aim to convince others that they should not be held accountable because they were unaware of certain details. This way, they not only avoid taking responsibility, but they could also make you believe they are the victim in the situation.
9. Manipulators are masters at giving you the silent treatment.
Whenever someone gives you the silent treatment, they usually feel a level of superiority. It makes them feel as if they have control over the situation and possibly its outcome. As you may already know, being controlling is one of the manipulators’ main characteristics, which means they would often use the silent treatment as a way of repressing their victims.
10. They blame you for their unhappiness.
It is in manipulators’ nature to never admit their fault. The same goes for the way they feel. If something bad happens to them and they feel horrible about it, even if they caused the unpleasant event, they would link it to the way you behaved, the words you said, and the things you did. In the end, they would present things as if you are the one to blame for their misery.
Hopefully, being aware of these red flags would teach you how to avoid falling into manipulators’ traps in the future.
The best thing you could do for yourself is to always be prepared for dealing with suchlike toxic beings, as they are everywhere around us. Knowing their signature behaviors will surely help.
