Protect Yourself from Manipulation: Key Strategies and Red Flags

Have you ever felt uneasy about someone's intentions? You couldn't quite make out why. You just had a feeling that wouldn't go away.

I'm willing to bet that person displayed manipulative behavior. Your instincts were communicating to you to be wary. This is a good thing.

You can be prepared for the next time it happens.

I leave you with the following:

Recognizing red flags

Strategies for protection

Becoming a positive influencer

Recognizing Red Flags

No matter what, people always leak their behaviors when dealing with others. You can begin spotting them in your interactions with them. I'm talking about the following:

• Overly charming behavior
• Inconsistencies in the stories
• Feelings of obligation and guilt

Now, one of these behaviors alone wouldn't signal manipulation to me. But a two or more in more than one interaction, would.

I'm looking for a cluster of behaviors instead of a standalone. A person may be charming. A person may like to tell stories and thus, forget what he said before. A person may only know how to convince people with guilt because of his parents.

But when that person interacts with me using two or more of those traits, that's a different story. I can spot these all too often. Thus, I can also protect myself.

Strategies for Protection

Awareness. Everything begins with becoming aware of the situation. Be mindful of the other person's behavior when dealing with you. Whether good or bad, establish boundaries.

Boundaries. This helps you keep control over your actions and decisions. It also tells the other person what you are willing to accept or tolerate. But remember, those are the boundaries that a person will attempt to breach.

Another perspective. Sometimes we can interpret an interaction differently from another person. You can always check in with someone you trust for their take on the matter. I'm saying to not trust your instincts, though. Do check your perception of the matter with someone else. I'm not perfect, thus, I will make mistakes.

Critical thinking skills. I have to be able to think for myself and at a moment's notice. I must first have to understand what's happening. So I ask questions and check the information someone presents me.

Trust your instincts. Your gut feeling is rarely wrong. There's something that is telling you that something is not right. Pay attention to it. While you may not be able to tell 'what' or 'why' doesn't mean that something isn't right.

Becoming a Positive Influencer

Things don't stop at spotting a manipulator. You must become a positive influence on someone. Thus, you can do any of the following:

• Lead by example
• Practice empathy and active listening
• Encouraging others

These actions build trust and respect. Particularly, leading by example. People are paying attention to how you act and treat others. So be transparent and honest as much as possible. Of course, not everyone has to know everything. This is where your boundaries come in as well.

Remember that one's autonomy is still a thing. As a positive influence, you want to conserve the other person's autonomy. You don't want to lose yours in the process.

Conclusion

In today's world, there's so much going on. There's a lot of fake people and too much information. I don't know who or what to trust.

Paying attention to these traits helps. Though, it's not perfect. Nothing is when dealing with human beings. Also, nothing is ever simple when dealing with human beings either.

You can learn to recognize manipulation in people's behaviors. You can protect yourself from it. You can lead someone down a better path. All are your choices.

Choose wisely.