Manipulation Tactic: Flattery Category: Emotional Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Flattery is excessive and insincere praise, given to someone with the deliberate intent of furthering one's own interests or gaining favor from that person. Flattery is a form of social maneuvering or subtle manipulation , unlike genuine praise which is sincere and offered without a hidden agenda . Psychological Characteristics Insincerity and Ulterior Motive: The defining characteristic is

Manipulation Tactic:  Pity Plays Category:  Emotional Manipulation Red Flag Indicators A Pity Play is a conscious or unconscious strategy where a person positions themselves as a helpless victim of circumstances, people, or the world. The primary goal is to: Avoid responsibility or consequences for their own actions. Gain attention, reassurance, or support. Manipulate others into taking care of them or giving them special treatment. Psychological Characteristics Externalizat

Manipulation Tactic: Weaponized Incompetence Category: Emotional Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Weaponized Incompetence is a manipulation tactic when a person deliberately performs a task poorly to do it to avoid responsibility for that task in the future. Intent is to make the other person (a partner, coworker, or family member) believe that it is easier, quicker, or necessary for them to take over the task, thereby shifting the mental and physical burden entirely onto t

Manipulation Tactic: Manipulation Category: Psychological Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Manipulation is a type of social influence used with an intent to change the behavior or perception of others using abusive, deceptive, or harmful tactics. Manipulation typically involves exploiting a person's vulnerabilities, insecurities, or weaknesses using tactics that could be considered exploitative or dishonest. Psychological Characteristics Intention: The manipulator is acting w

Manipulation Tactic: Gas Lighting Category: Emotional Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Gas Lighting is making someone question their own reality, memory, or sanity. is making someone question their own reality, memory, or sanity. Psychological Characteristics The effects of gaslighting on the victim are gradual, systematic, and aimed at undermining their most fundamental sense of reality and self. Reality Distortion: The abuser systematically challenges and denies the victi

Manipulation Tactic: Love Bombing Category: Emotional Manipulation Red Flag Indicators Love bombing a manipulation tactic used to quickly gain power and control over a person by overwhelming them with excessive attention, affection and flattery . Love bombing is a form of emotional abuse where an individual showers a new partner with an abundance of compliments, gifts, and intense declarations of love to create an immediate, intense emotional bond . This whirlwind of affe