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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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