There is a very fine line between opinionated and controlling, and often it’s easier to brush off bad behaviors than to confront them. Here are eight ways to detect even the sneakiest manipulation tactics before it’s too late.
You refuse to speak up
Whether you’re afraid of being criticized or feeling foolish, your inability to share your voice highlights a lack of confidence. If someone in your life has caused you to keep quiet, this is a sure sign of unhealthy control.
You allow yourself to isolate
If you have suddenly found yourself isolated from everyone in your life aside from one person, this is a red flag. Cutting off contact from the people in your life due to the fear that you’re hurting one individual proves that you’ve been manipulated.
You accept backhanded compliments
This is one of the most effective methods of manipulation, so watch out. No compliment should be followed by the word “but,” because this is simply a tactic to control your behavior or lifestyle.
You don’t know how to say no
The fear of confrontation is a clear indication of control, for it limits your voice while it also leaves you vulnerable to being pushed around. If you can’t say no, your default answer will always be yes… to everything.
You continuously make excuses
Whether someone has wronged you or someone else you care about, justifying cruelty makes you partially to blame. This method of control prevents you from forming your own opinions, which also plays a role in the isolation process.
You won’t question inappropriate behavior
This includes anything from a disregard of your personal space to criticizing every aspect of your being, and you must take control. This person is most likely testing your boundaries, so you must prove him or her wrong and fight back.
You believe your voice is unimportant
You wouldn’t devalue yourself to this degree unless someone led you to do so. A loss of voice is a loss of the self, which is why it is vital to break this toxic form of manipulation – your opinions and values make you who you are.
You compromise all of your values
Allowing somebody to tell you how to think is somebody who wants complete control. The longer you wait to gain your power back, the more likely it is that you will lose yourself. Remember that no relationship is worth giving up your potential.
Sources:
https://www.naturalnews.com/047288_psychological_attachment_self-sabotage_controlling_people.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/friendship-20/201506/20-signs-your-partner-is-controlling
