Signs of a master manipulator, as per psychology

Gaslighting is one of the most common tricks used by manipulators. It simply means when a person makes you question your own feelings and memories, by twisting and turning reality until you start to doubt your judgment. Gaslighting can be a severely harmful and damaging technique that can gradually undermine your confidence and self-worth, making you overly dependent on them.

Instead of being clear and honest in their conversations, manipulators often choose the path of expressing their anger through negative means and behaviours including offering silent treatment as well as using backhanded and sarcastic comments. This creates a significantly stressful environment, making you feel uneasy, frustrated, under-confident about yourself, and questioning your self-worth.

Manipulators might use guilt and emotions to control you, such as blaming you for their unhappiness, making you feel obligated to meet their needs, and reminding you of the sacrifices they made because of you. In such situations, it is of immense importance to remember that healthy relationships don’t make you feel obligated, or blamed on. Emotional blackmail is one of the most intense forms of manipulation and if you see any signs of it, it is important to immediately remove yourself from that situation.

Another sabotaging factor one should look at and be aware of is love bombing. Love bombing is a significantly manipulative technique in which, at first they may offer you immense amounts of attention and affection, ultimately creating a strong illusion of an intense bond. Just as you start getting attached, they pull back and leave you abandoned, making you desperate for their validation and undermining your confidence severely.

Manipulators often tell you half-truths, leaving out the note-worthy details to make them good look, shaping the narrative to their convenience. In a situation where they get caught in one of their lies, they might first try to deny it, making you second-guess or question yourself, and if it doesn’t work, they try blaming the situation on you.

When a person constantly and conviniently shifts all the blame on you, instead of being responsible in a relationship-- beware! This is a sign of emotional manipulation. This gives them power over you in the relationship. Also, they continue to mistreat you but keep blaming you for their bad behaviour.