I believe there are two basic categories of people out there. Givers and takers.
The givers are those charming and kind gardeners that make our planet blossom. They take care of the collective wellness and serenity of this world. They radiate love. Peace. Empathy. Warm feelings. They give without expecting anything in return.
And then, there are the takers. The individuals who shamelessly exploit everything the givers have to offer. The people who take and take and take, but never give anything in return. They suck the joy and energy out of every living being.
They manipulate. They show no mercy. They take advantage. And just imagine how starved they must be to use your soul as a perfect meal for their egos.
So, if you are in a relationship with a person, and you’ve noticed them doing some of these following things, then I have bad news for you…
You are being manipulated!
1. HE PUTS THE BLAME ON YOU
It always starts with the guilt trip. If your partner desperately tries to blame you for everything that’s happening, you’re being manipulated.
He might be subtle in his trickery, but when it happens you’ll feel it. Just, be careful. Manipulators believe that if they can convince you to feel guilty for your actions, they can do anything to you.
Make sure to play their game to your advantage.
2. HE JOKES ABOUT YOUR INSECURITIES
If your partner is constantly mocking and humiliating you in front of everyone, you might want to leave this person, because they aren’t joking around.
There’s a point where a fun, innocent joke becomes an insult. When this happens, and you start hearing “I was just joking” when they clearly weren’t, it’s time to hit the road.
No, you are not too sensitive, nor stupid. You are being manipulated.
3. HE DESTROYS YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE
You know what made it easier for him to manipulate you? He scrambled your mind to the point where you no longer trust your own gut. You started doubting yourself.
A manipulator will learn everything about you, especially your weaknesses and insecurities and then when the timing is perfect, he will point out every flaw.
That way, he can convince you that you need him as your guardian. Once he does that, he has you in the palm of his hand.
4. HE BLAMES YOU FOR HIS OWN EMOTIONS
When your partner starts blaming you for his current mental or physical state, you’re being manipulated.
If you’ve started hearing: “You made me do that” or “If you stopped doing that, I wouldn’t be so angry”, it’s official. He’s using his emotions to put the blame on you. You are being tricked.
5. HE PRETENDS TO BE THE VICTIM
Manipulators will often pretend to be hurt, betrayed or unloved just to make you apologize to them. They play a very dangerous game.
By pretending to be the victim, they hope to convince you that actually, you’re the bad guy in the relationship. They’ll make you forget everything they ever did to you.
6.HE GASLIGHTS YOU
It is one of the most common techniques manipulators use to trick you.
In order to force you to lose your mind and go crazy, they’ll pretend they didn’t say things, they’ll distort the truth, they’ll take advantage of your kindness, they’ll twist all the facts until everything you once believed was true vanishes into thin air.
7. HE IS EMOTIONALLY BLACKMAILING YOU
And probably one of the most desperate ways of controlling you is using emotional blackmail.
It sounds something like “If you go, I’ll hurt myself”. It leaves you with no choice because they’ve just threatened to take their own lives. You now fear for your own life because if they’re capable of doing that to themselves, God knows what they’ll do to you.
However, this is usually a cheap trick up their sleeves. It’s a way to get you to stay submissive.
But, if your partner is using emotional blackmail to control you and keep you by his side, don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Image:Corinaldesi Roberto
