Did you know that if you use certain words, you may come across as rude? That’s right. So, it’s always important to think twice before speaking. Most people aren’t trying to intentionally come across as rude, but they often end up saying something regretful. People make mistakes. It's important to…
It’s a fact that adolescent girls mature faster than boys, but have you ever thought your partner didn’t get the maturity memo? Old school ideas of masculinity can make it difficult for men to understand their emotions. We teach boys not to cry from an early age. Expressing your feelings…
Passive-aggressive behavior is a way of expressing negative emotions like anger or annoyance through indirect ways like sarcasm, fake flattery, procrastination or ignoring someone. These negative emotions come across as passive aggressive phrases. For example, let’s say I always buy you a birthday present, and this year you forgot to…
A master manipulator is experienced in the art of control. Utilizing certain maneuvers, these dangerous individuals can leave wounds that are hard to heal. We talk of manipulation and control quite often, including examples of them in lists of how to recognize a narcissist. We learn techniques for disarming toxic…
I’ve had the misfortune of meeting a few manipulative types in my life. One was my controlling-coercive ex-partner, and the other was a ‘friend’ that lied about practically everything. Each had their own techniques and tricks. My ex would undermine my confidence and isolate me. My friend was a pathological…
A friend of a friend once described me as ‘not unattractive’. I wondered, is that a compliment? What does it actually mean? If I’m not unattractive, then surely, I’m attractive. But why phrase it that way? Maybe he didn’t want to compliment me. Either way, it sounded like a backhanded…
Have you ever wished you had a clever comeback when someone belittles you? I am useless at thinking quickly. It’s only afterwards I come up with a witty putdown, but the moment’s passed. Though, I do keep clever comebacks up my sleeve for rude people. I’ve also looked at social…
Are they really friends, if they are friends who take advantage of you? I think not. The good news is, that you can identify them by what they say. In one word, I can explain what these “so-called” friends do: manipulation. That’s it! But sometimes manipulation is difficult to pinpoint.…