10 Signs of a Master Manipulator

Mental Health TV

Do you marvel at how some people are always able to get their way? These are people who have extremely high manipulative tendencies. The reason they are hard to identify is that they employ rather innocent tactics. However, any innocent act when used with ill intent turns into a tool for manipulation.   DISCLAIMER: Please note this is for educational purposes. If you find yourself relating to one, two, or any of the following signs, it doesn’t automatically classify you as a master manipulator. Please note this is not meant to discredit anyone. This video is not a substitute for professional advice or self-diagnosis. We advise you to seek professional help if you can relate to any disorders mentioned.  source: Psych2go

Transcript

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00:15 Hi, Psych2Goers.

00:16 Do you marvel at how some people

00:18 are always able to get their way?

00:21 These are people who have

00:22 extremely high manipulative tendencies.

00:25 The reason they are hard to identify

00:27 is that they employ rather innocent tactics.

00:30 However, any innocent act when used with ill intent

00:34 turns into a tool for manipulation.

00:36 We would like to emphasize that

00:38 just because you may believe one way or another,

00:41 you are not automatically characterized

00:42 as a master manipulator or a manipulator at all.

00:46 These are simply trends, not hard and fast rules.

00:50 So with that said, here are 10 signs

00:52 that someone could be a master manipulator.

00:55 Number one, they don't always seem intimidating.

00:58 Did you know that many manipulators

01:00 don't come off as intimidating?

01:01 In fact, a classic characteristic

01:04 of a master manipulator is their charm.

01:06 Who knew?

01:07 According to a study, master manipulators

01:09 often use their charm to perpetuate a cycle of abuse.

01:13 Though charm is often associated with a first impression,

01:16 master manipulators use their trait to their advantage

01:19 to reel someone back in or to mask negative thinking.

01:23 Number two, they assume that humans are inherently evil.

01:27 Mirror, mirror on the wall,

01:29 do you believe all humans are naturally good

01:32 or naturally evil?

01:34 According to psychologist Susan Whiteparton,

01:37 many master manipulators tend to believe the latter.

01:41 Master manipulators tend to believe

01:43 that humans are inherently dishonest

01:45 and are likely to take advantage of each other.

01:47 Number three, they find a practical necessity

01:50 for manipulation, bending ethics.

01:53 Misleading others or taking advantage of others

01:56 for a greater benefit.

01:57 Sound familiar?

01:59 Master manipulators tend to justify

02:01 a practical need for manipulation,

02:03 which could manifest in a number of ways.

02:05 With their line of thinking,

02:07 they are able to find justifications

02:08 for their misdemeanors with ease.

02:11 Providing reasoning or justification

02:13 doesn't necessarily make someone manipulative,

02:16 but it's a good indication

02:17 that they aren't strongly opposed to the idea.

02:20 Number four, they like to embellish stories.

02:23 Do you know someone who likes to exaggerate

02:25 or embellish details when they tell stories?

02:28 Maybe they add in dialogue or moments

02:30 that never really happened.

02:31 Embellishment is pretty common

02:33 and usually not ill-intentioned.

02:35 However, at its core, it's still a form of manipulation.

02:39 Often manipulators use this embellishing technique

02:42 to sway their audience to feel a certain way

02:44 or to gain empathy.

02:46 Number five, their phrasing is ambiguous.

02:49 Do they use phrases such as, "Your choice, but..."

02:53 Paying attention to the language of a master manipulator

02:55 can help you glimpse into their true intentions.

02:58 While these phrases are not usually used

03:00 with manipulative tendencies,

03:02 they do tend to sway others

03:04 into a different thinking pattern.

03:06 You are unconsciously steered into doing it just their way

03:09 because such expressions elicit an accommodating attitude

03:12 on the receiving end.

03:13 Number six, they use passive aggressiveness.

03:17 Has anyone ever used the silent treatment on you?

03:20 It makes you wanna do anything possible,

03:22 even against your will,

03:24 to get them to talk to you again, right?

03:27 It might be considered agonizing at best

03:29 and painful at worst.

03:31 The silent treatment is one of the examples

03:33 of passive aggressiveness contributing to manipulation.

03:36 It might seem less invasive, but is equally potent.

03:40 Some people tend to use such passive aggressive actions

03:43 to guilt or shame others into compliance.

03:45 Other common examples of passive aggressiveness

03:47 are snide comments and even gossip.

03:50 Yikes.

03:51 Number seven, they often use others for personal gain.

03:55 Do you know someone who tends to always use others

03:57 as a shield in the face of even the slightest adversity?

04:01 If so, it's a kind of coping mechanism that they employ.

04:05 The underlying mental disorder

04:06 causes potential effects on their moods,

04:08 which encourages manipulative behavior in them.

04:11 And if their maladaptive coping mechanism

04:13 to the underlying disorder is to use people

04:16 and take advantage of them,

04:17 they may come off as a master manipulator.

04:20 Number eight, you're scared to say no to them.

04:23 Are you good at saying no?

04:26 Except when it comes to certain people?

04:29 Are you scared of the way they may react?

04:31 When you say no to a master manipulator,

04:33 you might be afraid of the pressure

04:34 they'll put on you to change your mind.

04:36 If this is the case,

04:38 know that you aren't weak for feeling the way you feel

04:40 and that the most important thing

04:41 is to prioritize your own peace.

04:44 Being manipulated is never your fault,

04:46 no matter how you're made to feel.

04:48 Number nine, they talk in circles.

04:51 Does it feel like any sticky conversation with them

04:54 simply goes nowhere?

04:55 That's because they're never gonna take you there.

04:58 Master manipulators dodge questions

05:00 they don't wanna answer,

05:01 change the subject a little too quickly,

05:04 or deceive you into thinking you're wrong

05:06 just to avoid admitting fault or compromising.

05:09 They tend to be very intentional and precise

05:11 with their language in these situations

05:13 to avoid answering a question directly,

05:16 while at the same time,

05:17 trying to cover up and make the conversation progress

05:20 as it naturally would, all in one go.

05:23 And number 10,

05:24 they're diagnosed with a personality disorder.

05:27 Did you know that manipulation, more often than not,

05:29 can be a sign of a range of personality disorders?

05:32 Psychologists suggest that in addition to Machiavellianism,

05:35 personality disorders such as

05:37 borderline personality disorder,

05:39 obsessive compulsive personality disorder,

05:41 bipolar disorder, and antisocial personality disorder

05:45 can all increase someone's tendency to be manipulative.

05:48 However, it's important to note

05:50 that acting on these tendencies is still a choice,

05:53 and having a personality disorder

05:54 does not automatically make anyone a master manipulator.

05:58 Although it's common to want everything to go your way,

06:01 this might get in the way

06:03 of healthy long-term relationships.

06:05 It's always a good approach to seek professional help

06:07 in assisting you to explore the reasons

06:09 for your exhibiting manipulative tendencies,

06:12 or to heal from its experience.

06:15 It helps to recognize reasons preventing you

06:17 from making meaningful and healthy relationships

06:18 and friendships with others.

06:20 Do any of these describe your experience?

06:22 Leave a comment down below

06:23 about your encounters with them if you'd like.

06:25 Please feel free to share any thoughts you have as well.

06:28 If you found this video helpful,

06:29 be sure to hit the like button

06:30 and share it with those out there

06:32 in the clutches of manipulation.

06:34 Don't forget to subscribe to Psych2Go

06:36 and hit the notification bell for more new videos.

06:38 As always, thanks for watching.

06:40 (silence)

06:42 (silence)

06:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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