You’ve probably met quite a few narcissistic people and sociopaths already. While the two categories aren’t mutually exclusive, a person can also be one without being the other.
The difference is that a sociopath will try to take over every single aspect of your life and a narcissist will only want for you to be attentive only to them and their needs. They don’t care that they might be hurting you and they’ll even gaslight you in order to control you.
Anyone who is either one or both will do all that it takes to get a hold over you. Here are some of the things they’ll say to manipulate you.
1. That you need them
They’ll say anything and everything to make you believe that they are absolutely essential to you, more so than any other creature or object. But this is a lie because while you can do just fine without them, they are the one that needs you.
2. That you’d die if you didn’t have them
Tying up with the earlier trick, they’ll do their best to make you feel that nothing and no one matters to you as much as they do. They want you to think that you can’t live without them.
3. That you are confused
They’ll attempt to confuse you into thinking that you don’t really know what you’re talking about. Every word they speak will be carefully weighed and measured in order to get the reaction they want you to have. When you get angry, they’ll soothe you by saying that they didn’t mean it that way and make you feel bad for reacting.
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4. That you are flawed
Be it your sensitivity, your weight, your intelligence, they’ll always find something to criticize you for because they want you to feel like you are lesser than them. They won’t rest until they find some new flaw to point out. They want to make you feel insecure and they will try to belittle you in order to shake your confidence.
5. That you are mad
No matter what you argue about, they’ll keep telling you that it is your fault. They’ll be so persuasive that you’ll begin to wonder if you are going mad. Their act is so good that you will blame yourself for everything.
6. That they don’t like dramatic situations
They’ll act like they want to keep things simple but they’re all about the drama, especially because they don’t want you to feel like you’re at peace. If you’re too calm, you might realize that you don’t actually need them. While they constantly say that they don’t like drama, those are the same people that create drama and are always involved in one.
7. That you are only pretending to care for them
Constant emotional blackmail is one of their favorite tricks. If you do anything they didn’t intend for you to do, they’ll start saying that you don’t actually care for them and send you on a massive guilt trip.
8. That you’re their one and only
Don’t fall for this tactic because they’ve most likely told quite a few others before they picked you to be the next target. When they find someone they can have more control over, they’ll be quick to discard you and move on. This is another strong tactic of theirs to control you and manipulate you and to make you stay.
9. That they love you and that this is the last time they’ll do that
They will do it again. And again. And again. If you are waiting for this person to become better, don’t hold your breath because it is not going to happen. They don’t actually love you and they don’t mean any of their apologies. This kind of people will never change, no matter how many times they have promised you that they would.
10. That you don’t consider how they feel
Every aspect of your life should revolve around them and the minute you do something for yourself, they’ll be on your back whining about how you’ve hurt their delicate feelings. Even if you dedicate all of your time on this earth to pleasing them, they will always want more and more.