 Hey there, welcome back to our channel. Your love and support help us further our mission to explain our everyday psychology. So let's begin. What does it mean to be manipulative? Manipulation means to control, change, or warp the behaviors or perceptions of others. It involves the use of deception and underhanded methods to achieve personal aims. Thus, there is often a negative connotation because it's considered to be exploitative and cunning. Do you have anyone in mind? Let's take a step back and go through some of the signs of a manipulative personality. Here are eight signs of a manipulative person. 1. They instill self-doubt in others. As someone made you second-guess yourself often, it also counts as a manipulative behavior. This is because doubt affects an individual's self-confidence. Having low levels of self-confidence potentially makes the individual more susceptible to further manipulative tactics. It could also be perceived as manipulating a person to feel bad about themselves. In return, it makes the manipulator feel good in knowing that they have succeeded in holding power over the individual. 2. They're experts at guilt-tripping. If you've ever done something because you felt bad about a situation, you can probably understand how guilt can be used to manipulate. If not, let's break it down. Guilt-tripping is a form of emotional manipulation. Guilt can be a strong factor in getting someone to act in a specific way as well. It manipulates the individual to be in a submissive position, as they feel that they have to do as instructed to be free of that guilt. Thus, manipulators sometimes use guilt to hold power over their victims. 3. They take advantage of kindness. Ever heard of being too kind for your own good? Well be careful, because you are ripe for the picking by manipulators. You're quick to exploit your kindness to their own advantage, which is also a form of emotional manipulation. A kind individual often wants to offer their help to those who need it. However, manipulative people tend to exploit that because help will be given to them out of goodwill. The one thing to notice is that they usually do not return the favor when you need their help. 4. They spread false information on purpose. How does false information relate to manipulative behavior, you ask? The thing is, it can affect an individual's perception of various matters or about a person. The manipulation begins with a circulation of false information as an attempt to get people to view things in a certain way. By doing so, the manipulator can gain more control in achieving their desired outcome, because they've manipulated people into thinking the same way. 5. They never take the blame. We all respect those who take responsibility for their actions, right? Unfortunately, that's not the case with manipulative people. They'll always try to shift the blame to someone else if possible, and sometimes manipulate people into thinking that they're the victim instead. The common narrative that they follow is that the problem is usually never with them, but always with someone else. 6. They're good at hiding their manipulative traits. Ever seen a manipulator with a signboard around their neck? They excel in the art of disguise. This is what makes them even more potent. Manipulators are aware of the consequences of being caught, so they use discretion as a tool to reap the benefits of their manipulative tactics for a longer period of time. Through subtle manipulation, they bend situations to their advantage without having to expose their true selves. It often makes their manipulation less noticeable, which helps them maintain their facade. 7. They feign ignorance. This usually ends up as a last resort when a manipulative person is being confronted. Depending on how well they act and lie, feigning ignorance can potentially help them get out of a sticky situation by confusing the other party. They make people question their own judgment. Best to be aware, right? This tactic also allows them to continue their personal plans and exploits. And 8. They make their tactics seem normal. If it's the norm, how can it be wrong, right? As people tend to accept the norm most of the time, manipulative people will always try to justify their tactics. Making it seem normal helps to justify their actions and mask their true intention. It helps them prove to others that their actions are correct and their behavior is appropriate. The scary part is that many people end up falling prey as they feel it is right. So how many of these signs have you noticed in people you may have met before? Or perhaps you see yourself having some of these manipulative traits. Although this article explains only 8 signs, there could be more ways of manipulation out there. It's important to be vigilant and aware in case someone's trying to manipulate you. Let us know if you want a part 2. Also, share this video to help others find the answers they seek. Stay tuned for more psychology.