“People who have the intention to manipulate you will often appear as though they’re sorry and even do really cute and sweet things to ‘make up for’ the crappy stuff they’ve done, but they never actually say they’re sorry because if they do, they’re putting you in the dominant position which is somet…”— Bella Pope, thetalko.com
“You may think he’s being kind and considerate by allowing you to get your say in first, but he’s really just using this as a means to manipulate you. Think about it. If you’re allowed to speak first, he’s going to hear all about what your biggest concern is in what he did and how you’re feeling abou…”— Bella Pope, thetalko.com
“Your partner might quickly become a charmer when it’s clear you’re about to end things. After all, who will they be able to control once you leave?”— Christine Skopec, cheatsheet.com
“If your circle of friends has become pretty much nonexistent, a manipulative partner may be the reason why.”— Christine Skopec, cheatsheet.com
“He justifies his control with insecurity. His last girlfriend really hurt him, so he holds out on committing to you. He’s been cheated on before, so he always has to know where you are and what you’re doing. It’s not you, it’s him, and he uses that logic to control your every move.”— Kelsey Dykstra, bolde.com
“Everything is your fault and you are nothing without him — or so he’d like you to believe. He’s in constant control of your self-esteem. You only feel good when he makes you feel good about yourself, but if you’re not in his favor, you’re nothing.”— Kelsey Dykstra, bolde.com
“He reminds you that he has options. He wants you to feel like the lucky one in the relationship. He could have any woman he wants and he chose you. Wow, aren’t you special? Instead of building you up, he tears you down with the reminder that you could easily be replaced.”— Kelsey Dykstra, bolde.com
“Manipulators often try to intimidate others with aggressive language, subtle threats, or outright anger. Especially if they see you’re uncomfortable with confrontation, they will use it to quickly control you and get their way.”— Barrie Davenport, liveboldandbloom.com
“They might talk behind your back with others, or ask someone else to be their spokesperson so they don’t have to be the bad guy or girl. For example, they might have a friend tell you they want to break up, or mention to your best friend how unhappy they are in the bedroom.”— Barrie Davenport, liveboldandbloom.com
“A manipulator may say yes to a request or make a commitment to you, and then when the time comes to follow through, they conveniently forget they ever said anything.”— Barrie Davenport, liveboldandbloom.com
“In order to get his or her way, a manipulative person may sneakily — and conveniently — assume you agree with everything they say.”— Carolyn Steber, bustle.com
“Sometimes people play dumb in order to get out of things. They may act as if they don't understand your request, thus letting themselves off the hook.”— Carolyn Steber, bustle.com
“Unless you are in the middle of a heist, or other time-sensitive situation, there is usually time to think things through before making a big decision. So be wary of people who pressure you for an answer, especially if money is involved.”— Carolyn Steber, bustle.com
“Manipulators take your insecurities and use them against you. They consistently point out what you're doing ‘wrong’ and how they could have done it better.”— Eden Strong, yourtango.com
“'I'm sorry I acted that way but I'm just so scared that you will leave me!' is an excuse that's often used by manipulators when you point out flaws in his actions. The sheer purpose of that excuse is to take the focus off of your worries and suck you back into this.”— Eden Strong, yourtango.com
“If you start to realize your partner’s needs are being met far more often than yours are, you might be married to a manipulator.”— Eden Strong, yourtango.com
“They always one-up you. No matter what problems you may have, emotional manipulators have it worse. They undermine the legitimacy of your complaints by reminding you that their problems are more serious. The message? You have no reason to complain, so shut the heck up.”— Travis Bradberry, entrepreneur.com
“If you bring up something that’s bothering you, they make you feel guilty for mentioning it. If you don’t, they make you feel guilty for keeping it to yourself and stewing on it. When you’re dealing with emotional manipulators, whatever you do is wrong, and, no matter what problems the two of you ar…”— Travis Bradberry, entrepreneur.com
“Emotional manipulators will tell you what you want to hear, but their actions are another story. They pledge their support, but, when it comes time to follow through, they act as though your requests are entirely unreasonable.”— Travis Bradberry, entrepreneur.com
“If you’ve consistently caught your partner in lies, particularly damaging lies, you can bet there are plenty of lies that you haven’t found out about. Big red flag.”— James J. Sexton, huffingtonpost.com