Regardless of our age, social status or academic level, we can all be a victim of manipulation on some occasion, if not more, by people we consider to have a more extensive knowledge or stronger opinion than our own, this is something normal in society.
However, there are people who are more prone to be manipulated, due to fear of making important decisions, shyness or terror of taking charge of difficult situations, as well as a lack of self-confidence to put an ideal or position above those of other people.
Signs of manipulation in a relationship
Fear of confrontation
Confrontation is not the same as fighting, let's be clear about that.
There will always be times when your opinion is not the same as other people's, but the fear of confrontation prevents us from defending our point of view and approving of others' just to avoid arguing or out of panic of not being right.
An insecure person is a potential victim of manipulation.
Insecurities are harmful from every point of view, being an insecure person means that we never trust our own judgment and we need someone else to do the simplest things.
When there are insecurities it is common to think that other people are better than us and, therefore, have better ideas.
In this way, we can be victims of manipulation by a person who, accidentally or intentionally, guides us towards the path he wants, without taking into account that it may not work for us.
The most common victim of manipulation is the dependent one.
Dependency translates as the act of always being a follower, never taking charge, never having an opinion of one's own and always obeying the decisions, opinions or ideas of others.
A dependent person is an easy target to be a victim of manipulation, because they always need the approval, advice and opinion of others when making small decisions such as "what color shirt should I wear?" to where we plan to move or if we should look for new job.
Tips to stop emotional manipulation
If everything you read fits your profile, you have been or are prone to be a victim of manipulation, so you should follow these steps to try to overcome this vulnerable state:
- Confidence in yourself, is paramount to avoid being wrongly guided by others, if you have a position, project or idea that you consider good, you do not need the assessment of others to realize it.
- Find a group of people who support each other, in this way, your ideals will be similar to those of others and you can share similar opinions and lose the fear of disapproval, and avoid falling into malicious groups that will take advantage of putting their decisions above yours.
- Being assertive is something that can be very difficult, but totally necessary to eliminate dependencies and manipulations. If you do not agree with someone, do not let yourself be carried away by them, no matter how much pressure they may impose on you, you must keep your ideal firm so as not to be a follower.
- Therapy will always be an excellent option, there are therapists and support groups that are responsible for treating people who are vulnerable to being victims of manipulation.
These are certified and accredited to provide real psychological help and help you become more independent and self-confident.
If you feel that you are in a toxic relationship in which another person tries to manipulate you emotionally and does not respect you but you cannot get out of it, even though you know that this relationship is hurting you, it is time for the help of a psychologist.
