DavidWolfe.comManipulation comes in many different forms. Pro manipulators are so good at what they do, that it’s almost impossible to recognize when you’re being baited. If you have even the slightest feeling that someone is pushing you in a certain direction or trying to manipulate you, follow your gut instinct. Remove yourself from the situation, instead of taking the bait.
Here are six signs that someone is baiting you:
1. They Are Full Of Accusations
Someone who is trying to manipulate you might accuse you of doing something wrong, just to stir up an argument. Their goal is to bait you into defending yourself, which will allow them to act like the victim, even if they are the one who truly did something wrong.
2. They Play On Your Emotions
A pro manipulator often preys on other people’s emotions. They might bait you in order to elicit a certain emotion from you, in order to get you in a particular state of mind. Their goal might be to make you angry or to upset you. When you’ve succumbed to that emotion, you become more easy to manipulate.
3. They Damage Something Of Yours
Someone who is baiting you may purposefully damage something they know is important to you, in order to make you upset. If it happens once, you might overlook it. But if it happens quite often, you know that there’s a clear pattern forming.
4. They Try To Make You Jealous
Jealousy is another emotion that often gets the best of us. When you’re blinded by jealousy, a manipulator is more easily able to bait you into doing what they want. If your partner flirts with other people in front of you, or deliberately compares you to strangers, it’s a clear sign that you’re being baited.
5. They Always Play The Victim
Manipulators always make themselves out to be the victim. It’s the most predictable thing they do. Regardless of the situation, they will twist your words and make you feel guilty until you truly believe that you are the one who did something wrong. When you’ve taken the bait, they know they have control.
6. They Rush You
Another sign of baiting is someone who constantly rushes you to make a decision. They refuse to give you time to decide or let you “sleep on it.” They know that the more they pressure you to make a quick decision, the better chance they have of things going their way.
Sources:
Power of Positivity
Psychology Today
Psych Central