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Requirements For Successful Manipulation

Manipulators use various techniques to control their victims, including positive and negative reinforcement, intermittent reinforcement, and punishment. They exploit vulnerabilities like naivety, over-conscientiousness, low self-confidence, and emotional dependency. The document then lists specific manipulation tactics used like lying, denial, rationalization, selective attention, playing victim, and brandishing anger. It also discusses the motivations and strategies of manipulators, including assessing victims for vulnerabilities to exploit.

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Gregory Kagooha
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410 views5 pages

Requirements For Successful Manipulation

Manipulators use various techniques to control their victims, including positive and negative reinforcement, intermittent reinforcement, and punishment. They exploit vulnerabilities like naivety, over-conscientiousness, low self-confidence, and emotional dependency. The document then lists specific manipulation tactics used like lying, denial, rationalization, selective attention, playing victim, and brandishing anger. It also discusses the motivations and strategies of manipulators, including assessing victims for vulnerabilities to exploit.

Uploaded by

Gregory Kagooha
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Requirements for successful manipulation

1. Concealing aggressive intentions and behaviors. 2. Knowing the psychological vulnerabilities of the victim to determine what tactics are likely to be the most effective. 3. Having a sufficient level of ruthlessness to have no qualms about causing harm to the victim if necessary.

How manipulators control their victims


Harriet Braiker identified the following basic ways that manipulators control their victims:

Positive reinforcement: includes praise, superficial charm, superficial sympathy (crocodile tears), excessive apologizing, money, approval, gifts, attention, facial expressions such as a forced laugh or smile, and public recognition. Negative reinforcement: involves removing one from a negative situation as a reward, e.g. "You won't have to do your homework if you allow me to do this to you." Intermittent or partial reinforcement: Partial or intermittent negative reinforcement can create an effective climate of fear and doubt. Partial or intermittent positive reinforcement can encourage the victim to persist - for example in most forms of gambling, the gambler is likely to win now and again but still lose money overall. Punishment: includes nagging, yelling, the silent treatment, intimidation, threats, swearing, emotional blackmail, the guilt trip, sulking, crying, and playing the victim. Traumatic one-trial learning: using verbal abuse, explosive anger, or other intimidating behavior to establish dominance or superiority; even one incident of such behavior can condition or train victims to avoid upsetting, confronting or contradicting the manipulator.

According to Simon Lying: It is hard to tell if somebody is lying at the time they do it, although often the truth may be apparent later when it is too late. One way to minimize the chances of being lied to is to understand that some personality types (particularly psychopaths) are experts at the art of lying and cheating, doing it frequently, and often in subtle ways.

Lying by omission: This is a very subtle form of lying by withholding a significant amount of the truth. This technique is also used in propaganda. Denial: Manipulator refuses to admit that he or she has done something wrong. Rationalization: An excuse made by the manipulator for inappropriate behavior. Rationalization is closely related to spin. Minimization: This is a type of denial coupled with rationalization. The manipulator asserts that his or her behavior is not as harmful or irresponsible as someone else was suggesting, for example saying that a taunt or insult was only a joke.

Selective inattention or selective attention: Manipulator refuses to pay attention to anything that may distract from his or her agenda, saying things like "I don't want to hear it". Diversion: Manipulator not giving a straight answer to a straight question and instead being diversionary, steering the conversation onto another topic. Evasion: Similar to diversion but giving irrelevant, rambling, vague responses, weasel words. Covert intimidation: Manipulator throwing the victim onto the defensive by using veiled (subtle, indirect or implied) threats. Guilt tripping: A special kind of intimidation tactic. A manipulator suggests to the conscientious victim that he or she does not care enough, is too selfish or has it easy. This usually results in the victim feeling bad, keeping them in a self-doubting, anxious and submissive position. Shaming: Manipulator uses sarcasm and put-downs to increase fear and self-doubt in the victim. Manipulators use this tactic to make others feel unworthy and therefore defer to them. Shaming tactics can be very subtle such as a fierce look or glance, unpleasant tone of voice, rhetorical comments, subtle sarcasm. Manipulators can make one feel ashamed for even daring to challenge them. It is an effective way to foster a sense of inadequacy in the victim. Playing the victim role ("poor me"): Manipulator portrays him- or herself as a victim of circumstance or of someone else's behavior in order to gain pity, sympathy or evoke compassion and thereby get something from another. Caring and conscientious people cannot stand to see anyone suffering and the manipulator often finds it easy to play on sympathy to get cooperation. Vilifying the victim: More than any other, this tactic is a powerful means of putting the victim on the defensive while simultaneously masking the aggressive intent of the manipulator. Playing the servant role: Cloaking a self-serving agenda in guise of a service to a more noble cause, for example saying he is acting in a certain way for "obedience" and "service" to God or a similar authority figure. Seduction: Manipulator uses charm, praise, flattery or overtly supporting others in order to get them to lower their defenses and give their trust and loyalty to him or her. Projecting the blame (blaming others): Manipulator scapegoats in often subtle, hard-to-detect ways. Feigning innocence: Manipulator tries to suggest that any harm done was unintentional or that they did not do something that they were accused of. Manipulator may put on a look of surprise or indignation. This tactic makes the victim question his or her own judgment and possibly his own sanity. Feigning confusion: Manipulator tries to play dumb by pretending he or she does not know what the victim is talking about or is confused about an important issue brought to his attention.

Brandishing anger: Manipulator uses anger to brandish sufficient emotional intensity and rage to shock the victim into submission. The manipulator is not actually angry; he or she just puts on an act. He just wants what he wants and gets "angry" when denied.

Vulnerabilities exploited by manipulators


the "disease to please" addiction to earning the approval and acceptance of others Monophobia (fear of negative emotion; i.e. a fear of expressing anger, frustration or disapproval) lack of assertiveness and ability to say no blurry sense of identity (with soft personal boundaries) low self-reliance external locus of control

According to Simon, manipulators exploit the following vulnerabilities that may exist in victims:

Navet - victim finds it too hard to accept the idea that some people are cunning, devious and ruthless or is "in denial" if he or she is being victimized. over-conscientiousness - victim is too willing to give manipulator the benefit of the doubt and see their side of things in which they blame the victim. low self-confidence - victim is self-doubting, lacking in confidence and assertiveness, likely to go on the defensive too easily. over-intellectualization - victim tries too hard to understand and believes the manipulator has some understandable reason to be hurtful. emotional dependency - victim has a submissive or dependent personality. The more emotionally dependent the victim is, the more vulnerable he or she is to being exploited and manipulated.

Manipulators generally take the time to scope out the characteristics and vulnerabilities of their victim. According to Kantor, the following are vulnerable to psychopathic manipulators:

Too dependent - dependent people need to be loved and are therefore gullible and liable to say yes to something to which they should say no. Too immature - has impaired judgment and believes the exaggerated advertising claims. too nave - cannot believe there are dishonest people in the world, taking for granted that if there were they would not be allowed to operate.

too impressionable - overly seduced by charmers. For example, they might vote for the seemingly charming politician who kisses babies. too trusting - people who are honest often assume that everyone else is honest. They are more likely to commit themselves to people they hardly know without checking credentials, etc., and less likely to question so-called experts. too lonely - lonely people may accept any offer of human contact. A psychopathic stranger may offer human companionship for a price. too narcissistic - narcissists are prone to falling for unmerited flattery. too impulsive - make snap decisions about, for example, what to buy or whom to marry without consulting others. too altruistic - the opposite of psychopathic: too honest, too fair, too empathetic. too frugal - cannot say no to a bargain even if they know the reason why it is so cheap. too materialistic - easy prey for loan sharks or get-rich-quick schemes. too greedy - the greedy and dishonest may fall prey to a psychopath who can easily entice them to act in an immoral way. too masochistic - lack self-respect and so unconsciously let psychopaths take advantage of them. They think they deserve it out of a sense of guilt. the elderly - the elderly can become fatigued and less capable of multi-tasking. When hearing a sales pitch they are less likely to consider that it could be a con. They are prone to giving money to someone with a hard-luck story.

Motivations of manipulators
Manipulators can have various possible motivations, including:

the need to advance their own purposes and personal gain at virtually any cost to others a strong need to attain feelings of power and superiority in relationships with others a want and need to feel in control (aka. control freak) a desire to gain a feeling of power over others in order to raise their perception of self-esteem

Basic manipulative strategy of a psychopath


1. Assessment phase

Some psychopaths are opportunistic, aggressive predators who will take advantage of almost anyone they meet, while others are more patient, waiting for the perfect, innocent victim to cross their path. In each case, the psychopath is constantly sizing up the potential usefulness of an individual as a source of money, power, sex, or influence. Some psychopaths enjoy a challenge

while others prey on people who are vulnerable. During the assessment phase, the psychopath is able to determine a potential victims weak points and will use those weak points to seduce.
2. Manipulation phase

Once the psychopath has identified a victim, the manipulation phase begins. During the manipulation phase, a psychopath may create a persona or mask, specifically designed to work for his or her target. A psychopath will lie to gain the trust of their victim. Psychopaths' lack of empathy and guilt allows them to lie with impunity; they do not see the value of telling the truth unless it will help get them what they want. As interaction with the victim proceeds, the psychopath carefully assesses the victim's persona. The victim's persona gives the psychopath a picture of the traits and characteristics valued in the victim. The victim's persona may also reveal, to an astute observer, insecurities or weaknesses the victim wishes to minimize or hide from view. As an ardent student of human behavior, the psychopath will then gently test the inner strengths and needs that are part of the victim's private self and eventually build a personal relationship with the victim. The persona of the psychopath - the personality the victim is bonding with - does not really exist. It is built on lies, carefully woven together to entrap the victim. It is a mask, one of many, custom-made by the psychopath to fit the victim's particular psychological needs and expectations. The victimization is predatory in nature; it often leads to severe financial, physical or emotional harm for the individual. Healthy, real relationships are built on mutual respect and trust; they are based on sharing honest thoughts and feelings. The victim's mistaken belief that the psychopathic bond has any of these characteristics is the reason it is so successful.
3. Abandonment phase

The abandonment phase begins when the psychopath decides that his or her victim is no longer useful. The psychopath abandons his or her victim and moves on to someone else. In the case of romantic relationships, a psychopath will usually seal a relationship with their next target before abandoning his or her current victim. Sometimes, the psychopath has three individuals on whom he or she is running game: the one who has been recently abandoned, who is being toyed with and kept in the picture in case the other two do not work out; the one who is currently being played and is about to be abandoned; and the third, who is being groomed by the psychopath, in anticipation of abandoning the current "mark".

Common questions

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The process by which psychopaths victimize individuals follows three phases: assessment, manipulation, and abandonment. During the assessment phase, psychopaths identify weak points in potential victims through observation. In the manipulation phase, they create a fabricated persona to gain trust, exploiting identified weaknesses and adjusting tactics to the victim's psychological needs. Interaction is maintained by lying and deception. In the abandonment phase, psychopaths discard victims once they are no longer useful, often simultaneously grooming new targets. This pattern leads to severe harm, contrasting with the false perception of a healthy relationship .

Lying is central to manipulative strategies; manipulators frequently employ both overt lies and more subtle deceptions such as lying by omission. Manipulators, especially those with psychopathic tendencies, are often skilled at lying without apparent concern for the truth. Lying by omission involves withholding significant truths and is a tactic used in propaganda. Such deceptions enable manipulators to evade detection and maintain control over their victims by constructing a false reality that benefits their aims .

Individuals with characteristics such as dependency, immaturity, naïveté, impressionability, and excessive trust are particularly vulnerable to manipulation. Also, those who are lonely, narcissistic, impulsive, altruistic, frugal, materialistic, greedy, or masochistic are at higher risk. Such traits create an environment where the manipulator can apply pressure or charm to fulfill their own needs by exploiting these vulnerabilities .

Manipulative individuals exploit various psychological vulnerabilities such as the 'disease to please,' which reflects an addiction to earning the approval of others; monophobia, or the fear of negative emotions; and a lack of assertiveness. Victims may also have a blurry sense of identity or low self-reliance. Naïveté, over-conscientiousness, low self-confidence, emotional dependency, and over-intellectualization are also targeted by manipulators to bind and control victims over time. These vulnerabilities make individuals more susceptible to manipulation tactics .

A manipulator uses shaming to increase fear and self-doubt within the victim, making them feel unworthy and more likely to comply with the manipulator's demands. Shaming tactics, such as sarcasm, put-downs, or a fierce look, aim to foster a sense of inadequacy and dependency. The victim may be deterred from challenging the manipulator, believing themselves to lack value, thereby enhancing the manipulator's control over them .

Manipulators use a range of reinforcement tactics to control their victims. Positive reinforcement includes praise, superficial charm, excessive apologizing, money, approval, gifts, and public recognition. Negative reinforcement involves removing someone from a negative situation as a reward. Partial or intermittent reinforcement can either create a climate of fear and doubt or encourage persistence, akin to gambling. Punishment methods include nagging, yelling, intimidation, and emotional blackmail. Traumatic one-trial learning uses an incident of explosive anger or verbal abuse to condition the victim to avoid challenging the manipulator .

The abandonment phase highlights manipulative behavior as it shows the psychopath's calculated detachment once a victim's usefulness wanes. This phase often involves securing a new target before discarding the current victim, reflecting the lack of genuine emotional investment. The psychopath may keep previous victims in consideration as backups, ensuring continued utility. This systematic approach underlines the manipulative intent to extract maximum benefit with minimal emotional involvement .

Manipulators use positive reinforcement strategically to maintain control by providing the victim with praise, superficial charm, gifts, and attention, creating a façade of care and support. These actions lead the victim to seek and value the manipulator's approval, tying their self-worth to the manipulator's responses. This psychological dependency fosters loyalty and compliance, encouraging the victim to overlook or rationalize negative behavior from the manipulator .

'Playing the victim' is effective as a manipulation tactic because it evokes pity, sympathy, and compassion from the victim. This portrayal makes caring and conscientious individuals more likely to cater to the manipulator's needs, as they feel compelled to alleviate the perceived suffering. This tactic not only shifts blame away from the manipulator but also garners support and protection from others, making it difficult for the actual victim to challenge the manipulative behavior .

Manipulators exploit naïveté by targeting individuals who struggle to accept the existence of malevolent traits in others, utilizing deception and presenting themselves positively to avoid suspicion. Over-intellectualization is exploited when victims attempt to rationalize the manipulator’s harmful behavior, often leading them to believe that there must be a valid reason behind it. Such cognitive biases prevent victims from recognizing manipulation and enable the manipulator to maintain a façade while facilitating ongoing exploitation .

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