Playing the Blame Game as a Manipulation Tactic
By habitually blaming others for his own indiscretions, the disturbed character resists modifying his problematic attitudes and behavior patterns.
Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life Articles in February, 2009
Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life published the following articles in February, 2009.
Manipulation via Shaming and Guilt-Tripping: Using the Conscience of the Neurotic against Them
Neurotics try hard not only to project a positive image, but also to do the right thing. Disordered characters know this very well. So, when the person with a disturbed character wants to manipulate a good neurotic, all they have to do is somehow convince them that they’ve done wrong or behaved in a manner they should feel ashamed of.
Minimization: Trivializing Behavior as a Manipulation Tactic
When he uses the tactic of minimization, the disturbed character is attempting to convince someone else that the wrongful thing he did wasn’t really as bad or as harmful as he knows it was and as he knows the other person thinks it was.
Understanding Rationalization: Making Excuses as an Effective Manipulation Tactic
Effective manipulation tactics simultaneously put others on the defensive while also obscuring or denying the malevolent intent of the person using them. Such tactics are particularly effective on neurotic individuals — especially those who always want to think the best of people and who strive hard to understand what would make a person behave in a problematic way.
Understanding the Dysfunctional Tactics of Disturbed Characters
Disordered characters engage in certain behaviors that are so “automatic” that it’s tempting to think that they do them unconsciously. Besides that, on the surface, these behaviors so closely resemble defense mechanisms at times that they can easily be misinterpreted as such.
Guide to Understanding Depression Now Available, Including Spanish Translation
Our Consulting Clinical Psychologist’s guide to Understanding Depression is now available in our section on symptoms — both in the original English and in a new professionally translated Spanish version.
Circumstantial Thinking: Does Stuff Really ‘Just Happen’?
Disordered characters don’t like to think that behavior has consequences and they certainly don’t like to examine their own motives.