There is too much pain in this world. Too much toxicity. Too many heartbreaks, disappointments, injustices, cruelty, brutality, indifference, inequity, and sadness…
People don’t care about other people. They don’t give a damn about other people’s feelings. They don’t bother being there. They don’t think before they speak. The truth is, friends, in the real meaning of the world, are rare. There are more and more fake friends out there who only trying to take advantage of your love and vulnerability. More and more people who are greedy for affection and attention without being willing to give anything in return.
So much, that sometimes it gets hard to make a difference between a real friend and a person who is pretending to be your friend. Face it. A person who takes advantage of your emotions does not love you. Someone who doesn’t hesitate to point fingers at you and guilt trip you in every situation is not your friend.
If you feel like you relate to all of the above, here are 7 telltale signs that someone is manipulating you:
1. They use your insecurities and fears against you. Manipulative people would do anything to get close to you and find your weak spots. That’s how they learn your triggers, your fears, your insecurities, and eventually attack.
2. They always blame you for everything. If you’ve experienced this with a person you consider a close friend, it is perhaps time to stop and reexamine the entire relationship. A person who genuinely cares for you and loves you would never treat you that way. They would never hurt you by pointing fingers at you.
3. They take advantage of your weakness. When a person is trying to manipulate you, they will first focus on getting under your skin. Once they know what makes you happy and what brings tears to your eyes, they know everything.
4. They constantly pressure you with ultimatums. People like this will never ever agree to disagree. They would never bother to make a compromise. That is why the only way they choose to deal with things is through force and threats.
5. They force you to always do things their way. Because guess what? If you don’t do as they say, you’ll end up “making a mistake”. And you know what comes after that? Their favorite game. Guilt-tripping and criticizing until you finally lose a sense of self and give in to their demands. And of course, most of the time, people do that. Because not following their way would result in pain and suffering.
6. They make you feel ashamed of your emotions. Believe me, they will do everything they can to make you the bad guy. And is there a better way to do it if not by forcing you to turn against yourself?
7. They say one thing, but end up doing a completely another. Beware, people who manipulate will never stick to what they say. Their wretched nature wouldn’t allow them to actually fulfill their promises. For the desire to be above everyone else and have absolute control over all the people in their lives is what drives them. They don’t care what you think of them, they only care how they can take advantage of you.
