Have you ever been a victim of an experienced toxic manipulator?
Oftentimes, manipulators are so darn good at playing their evil little mind games, that you can’t even see where all of this pressuring energy comes from. Unfortunately, the longer it takes for you to spot them, the longer they get to use you and take advantage of your vulnerability. And while you might not see them right now, there is a high chance their toxicity is much closer than you believe it is.
But who is this person, and why do they waste their energy into sucking on yours?
Here are 7 signs you might be a victim of a skilled manipulator.
1. They are constantly playing with your feelings.
From the moment you met, this person is making sure they appear trustworthy and genuine, so you easily vent to them. But instead of being there for you as a friend, they use the information you tell them to control your emotions. They play in the role of the good listener, the person who always understands you. But the moment they see they can use what you told them for their own benefit, they wouldn’t hesitate to do so. Your feelings and emotions are nothing but a playground for them.
2. They are always blame-shifting you.
Do you sometimes feel like the bad guy in a situation where you are the one that’s been hurt? Well, that’s probably because you’re dealing with an experienced manipulator. They know exactly what to say to make themselves the victims of a situation where they are in fact the abusers. When they intentionally do something to hurt you, they have already planned how to make it all seem like it was your fault. And usually, they go with the scenario where your actions pushed them into hurting you.
3. Their words mismatch their actions.
Manipulators are probably the best at sugarcoating and embellishing the truth so that it appears glamorous, while in reality, it’s hideous. They are tremendously skilled sweet talkers, with the ability to make you believe whatever they tell you. And the second you turn your back, they do exactly the opposite of what they told you they would do. They might be fluent in sweet-talking, but they are not quite good at following through their words.
4. They blame you for their own emotions.
Every manipulative person would go out of their way to make you feel like you’re the one responsible for their own emotional state. They would do the impossible to make you feel guilty for refusing to do the things they want you to. It feels like the end of the world for them not to get what they want, so they make sure you feel miserable about it.
5. They are constantly giving you ultimatums.
Compromising is not in a manipulator’s schedule. Especially if they have already decided you’re going to be their next prey. That’s why they often use extreme ultimatums and put you in uncomfortable positions, so you chose the option they had in mind in the first place. And the more you try to convince them you can both compromise, the pushier they get towards you.
6. They take advantage of your insecurities.
One of the most hurtful traits of manipulators is they have the evil power of using your insecurities against you. At first, they will get close to you, and they will do anything to earn your trust. And the second they find it convenient, they will use everything you told them to bring you down and break you. They wouldn’t hesitate to hurt you using your own vulnerability.
7. They make sure you don’t have time to think things through.
If a manipulator wants something to happen really bad, they wouldn’t give you any time to think about it. Especially if they know you wouldn’t approve it after you actually give it a thought. To intensify the situation, they usually add a sense of urgency to these things. This makes you act in the heat of the moment without considering the consequences. Of course, they do this so you don’t have enough time to react in opposition to them.
