For those who feel victimized by a
supposed manipulator, be careful when you decide someone is deserving of the
label. Like many things, there is a spectrum of manipulative behavior
that most of us fall under. In a sense we are all manipulators, yet few us
truly deserve the label, as the most deserving are far more devious than the
average person.
Imagine a test that would determine the
degree of manipulative behavior a person exhibits. The gullible and
purely selfless would be on the low end of the spectrum: the Machiavellian
schemers on the high end. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle,
exhibiting some of the criteria that defines a manipulator, but for the most
part remain innocent.
It’s easy to judge someone as a
manipulator if they have slighted you by selfish means; their behavior makes
you so frustrated that they must be some goblin in the flesh. They may
have one or several symptoms of the narcissistic personality type that the best
manipulators exhibit. Just remember that most people are trying to get
what they want, whether that involves underhanded schemes or not. And
most of us use manipulative tactics to get them- a great many of us aren’t even
conscious of them. As rational, covetous, prideful creatures, it may be
in our collective psyche to deceive others to get what we want, including
ourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment