Everyone deserves a happy, healthy relationship but sometimes we’re just not that lucky. Conscious and subconscious manipulation of one’s significant other is a common problem many people have experienced in their lives. Here are seven signs that you are being manipulated by your partner.
1. White Lies, White Lies Everywhere
White lies may be seen as innocent, but they are a major red flag you’d be wise not to ignore. Telling a white lie every once in a while is completely healthy, but if your partner has taken a shine to this habit, they’re doing it for a reason. The constant barrage of white lies will keep you confused and on edge while being utterly oblivious to everything else they are doing.
2. Denial Even When Caught Red-Handed
You can present them with hardcore, irrefutable evidence of their wrongdoings but they aren’t having any of that. “It’s not what you think.” “I’m telling you that’s not me.” “Nope, didn’t happen.” If your partner continuously denies their wrong actions even when you have busted them, not even the proof will get them to admit anything. This is a tactic to get you to question reality and your own sanity. If you allow it to go on for too long, you will be putty in their hands.
3. Targeting Things That Make You Happy
When your partner begins to attack things in your life that mean a lot to you, watch out! Their goal is to make you feel worthless and break you down. Some even take it as far as to make you feel guilty for your talents, which, in turn, makes you shy away from those things to prove your love to them. If you feel as though you are losing yourself: run for the hills before it’s too late.
4. Hypocritical Behavior
Hypocrites are the worst! They will talk one way but turn around and do the complete opposite. Noticing such behavior is key to knowing whether this person is going to try to manipulate you in the future. They’re talented with talking one way, but they can’t hide their true feelings, and it will show in their behavior. You could say it’s a gaslighter’s Achilles heel.
5. They’re Great at Masking The Bad with The Good
Confusion is a manipulator’s most significant tool and comes in many forms. One way to keep you in a fog is to compliment as far as they attack. You will never know which mood they are in and, therefore, be unable to prepare for their next move. After a while, the fog grows thicker, and you become weaker while you desperately grasp onto the beautiful things they’ve done while remaining in denial about the bad stuff.
6. Accusations, Illusions, and Humiliation
Over time, a manipulative partner will try to throw you off their trail by making you feel ashamed of things you’ve never done. The point of this behavior is to make you feel anxious and live in fear that they will publicly humiliate you with their false accusations. They’re great at using words to convince other people that they are telling the truth and they know that you already do this. The fear begins to take over and leaves you looking over your shoulder for the next move they are going to make.
7. Everyone Else is a Liar
A partner who’s gaslighting will go great length to isolate you. They continuously deny anyone else is right by any means and claim they have zero validity, which is a great way get you to question everyone but your partner. It won’t matter how much someone else is in the right because, to a manipulative person, they are the only one that is capable of being right.
