BY TINA FEY
Beware of excessively nice individuals, as they may be master manipulators who use targeted compliments and flattery to win you over for their ulterior motives.
Gaining someone's trust is crucial for manipulation, and master manipulators often use oversharing as a tactic to win sympathy and establish a bond prematurely.
Master manipulators exploit the trust they've built by manipulating your perception of reality through lies, gaslighting, and making you doubt your own memory, leading you to rely on them for guidance.
Master manipulators skillfully portray themselves as victims, evoking pity and turning the tables when confronted, using gaslighting techniques to make you feel guilty and responsible for their actions, even if evidence suggests otherwise.
Master manipulators are skilled at making promises and telling you what you want to hear, but when it comes to fulfilling those commitments, they often flake out or deny ever making such promises, making you feel like a burden or indebted if they do provide assistance.
Master manipulators have a tendency to downplay or dismiss your achievements and struggles, always finding a way to one-up you and maintain their position as the center of attention due to their narcissistic tendencies.
Master manipulators, having gained your trust, will exploit your insecurities and vulnerabilities by using them as ammunition to make sly, derogatory comments disguised as harmless remarks.
Master manipulators exploit their victims by isolating them from their support systems, using tactics such as gaslighting and lies to create doubt and turn them against their friends and family, ensuring that they become solely reliant on the manipulator.