300 Expert Manipulative People Quotes: Avoid Toxic People

1. “Every day you must unlearn the ways that hold you back. You must rid yourself of negativity, so you can learn to fly. ” – Leon Brown

2. “When manipulation flutters around everywhere, neither pull nor push anyone. Just do one thing – don’t trust anyone!” – Ashish Patel

3. They minimize your difficulties or problems, so they don’t have to be there for you.

4. “There are plenty of examples in the world where manipulation is considered perfectly normal, so much so that we don’t even consider that we are being manipulated. ” – Chase Hill

5. “Men are used as they use others.”

6. “Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to fill the roles given you by good people, by people who love you. ” – Orson Scott Card

7. “If you don’t give education to people, it is easy to manipulate them. ” – Pele

8. “One should be able to control and manipulate experiences with an informed and intelligent mind. ” – Sylvia Plath

9. “Manipulation is never good for a relationship. It always spells the beginning of the end. ” ― Sherry Argov

10. “If you want to continue to play, never become a pawn!" - On Survival” 

11. “Manipulation is the way of the weak and insecure. ” ― Shannon L. Alder

12. “Many forms of manipulation aren’t troublesome at all. We all manipulate one another at times, and we all get manipulated. We’ve learned to play a multitude of games to maneuver people into doing what we’d like. One of my favorites is “Gee, I wish someone would open the window,” as opposed to “Could you please open the window?”” – Susan Forward

13. “Manipulation is the process of using one’s hands to rearrange one’s environment. ” ― Matthew T. Mason

14. “Foreknowledge of the future makes it possible to manipulate both enemies and supporters.”

15. “That's not what I said. ”

16. “When we have access to all of our inner balance, we are able to manipulate our world on a more profound level. This leads us out of fear, and out of danger. ” — Brian Germain

17. “Manipulators count on strong emotions—such as guilt, fear, love, and shame—to prevent us from thinking clearly and seeing what they’re up to. That’s exactly how they get away with it.” —Adelyn Birch, author of 30 Covert Emotional Manipulation Tactics: How Manipulators Take Control In Personal Relationships

18. “You made me do this. ” 

19. “When you know what a man wants, you know who he is, and how to move him. ” – George R. R. Martin

20. “When you notice someone​​ does something toxic the first time, don’t wait for the second time before you address it. ” – Shahida Arabi

21. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten through college. You owe me.”

22. “Manipulating people is what’s so fun about poker. I love that you can just look into someone’s eyes and lie – and it’s perfectly acceptable.”

23. “It’s so easy to manipulate an audience, but it’s nearly always clear that you are being manipulated. I think even people that are not critically attuned are aware of cynical manipulation in film.”

24. “It’s amazing how much manipulation is going on in parasites.”

25. “The people who would like to manipulate and use you won’t tell you your blind spots. They may plan to continue using them to their advantage. ” – Assegid Habtewold

26. “There are those whose primary ability is to spin wheels of manipulation. It is their second skin and without these spinning wheels, they simply do not know how to function.”

27. “It might feel great at first, but it usually leaves you isolated and makes you lose sight of who you are,” Holland explains. “Once you’re ‘swept away,’ this attention might stop, and will leave you feeling like you’re seeking it out or chasing it down again.”

28. “Manipulation is an art, since it is practiced by all of us, without any systematic or fundamental understanding of the process. ” ― Matthew T. Mason

29. “There are those whose primary ability is to spin wheels of manipulation. It is their second skin and without these spinning wheels, they simply do not know ...

30. “When ambition gets out of hand we are vulnerable to manipulation by others. ” — Keith Campbell

31. Passive- aggressiveness. Used privately by people who hide their negativity and cannot directly confront difficult situations

32. Ignore everything they do and say

33. “The best way to manipulate a man is to make him think he is manipulating you. ” – John Smith

34. “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. ” – Rudyard Kipling

35. “The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes. ” ― Tony Blair

36. · “Everybody has the ability to be manipulative, to be hateful and deceitful. ” – 

37. “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. ” – Sun Tzu

38. “Manipulators have no problems being extra friendly to a person and then talking down about them to others. This is a technique used to control how others see you. It is particularly dangerous in groups of friends or with colleagues. They will also tell you what others are saying about you, often lying or exaggerating. ” – Chase Hill

39. “Manipulation is clever, skillful, and sometimes unscrupulous. Manipulation is not always a bad thing. ” ― Edward Benedict

40. “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. ” – Abraham Lincoln

41. “There are types of people who want to have leverage over other people's lives. For no other reason than they feel the need to have leverage. I find this to be a certain type of sickness of the mind. You could argue that they wish you no harm, however, the desire to simply have leverage over another— whether this is mental, emotional or physical— is, I think, a sickness of the mind. I can honestly say right now that I, 100%, have no manipulative intentions to gain leverage over any other person that I know.” 

42. “Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy. ” – François de La Rochefoucauld

43. “Although the ways in which people manipulate can vary greatly, there are a certain number of techniques and traits that manipulators have in 

44. “It’s scary, telling another person “This is who I am. This is what I want. ” Scarier still is standing by the truth of ourselves—our integrity—as we must when we give the other person a choice to accept or not accept our decisions and differences. We may feel as though expressing our needs is akin to making demands, but remember that what we’re asking of the blackmailer is absolutely reasonable: we want the other person to stop manipulating us. We’re not asking for anything that will harm us or them. ” – Susan Forward

45. “When you know what a man wants you know who he is, and how to move him.”

46. Never ask for permission

47. “If you walked away from a toxic, negative, abusive, one-sided, dead-end low vibrational relationship or friendship — you won. ” – Lalah Delia

48. “The success of the manipulation depends on the level of conviction and force of the denial.” —Tess Binder, author of Emotional Manipulation Tactics

49. “It was easier to manipulate someone if they didn’t perceive you as a threat. ” – Stephanie Wrobel

50. “Manipulation becomes emotional blackmail when it is used repeatedly to coerce us into complying with the blackmailer’s demands, at the expense of our own wishes and well-being. ” – Susan Forward

51. “One should be able to control and manipulate experiences with an informed and intelligent mind.”

52. “You are a manipulator. I like to think of myself more as an outcome engineer.”

53. “Once you are less afraid and feel less manipulated by fear, obligation and guilt, you’ll notice how many choices open up to you. You’ll be able to decide who you want to be close to, how much you are responsible for other people, how you really want to use your time and love and energy. ” – Susan Forward

54. “Be aware, beware what lies, what lies? ... behind the light...

55. “If you can’t come over, then I might as well not invite anyone else that night. There’s no point then.”

56. We fear that we'll never experience a connection like that again

57. We believe that we can fix them and make them better

58. “You're paranoid. ”

59. “All writing is a form of manipulation, of course, but you realize that a plain sentence can actually do so much. ” – Colm Toibin

60. “If you feel confused because someone tells you that they love you, but they don’t act like they do, judge them by their actions alone. You will have your answer.” —Adelyn Birch, author of 30 Covert Emotional Manipulation Tactics: How Manipulators Take Control In Personal Relationships

61. “The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words. ” – Philip K. Dick

62. “I do respect people’s faith, but I don’t respect their manipulation of that faith in order to create fear and control. ” – Javier Bardem

63. “The measure of a man is what he does with power.”

64. “Jealousy’s a weak emotion. ” – Jay-Z

65. “The less you respond to negative people, the more powerful your life will become. ” – Robert E. Baine, Jr

66. “If they can no longer score on you, then they can no longer manipulate you. ” — Dorothy McCoy

67. “Manipulators will never just ask for what they need because it is giving away their control. Instead, they will use psychology to control others. ” – Chase Hill

68. “The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. ” – Roseanne Barr

69. “Manipulators aren’t used to being called out on their behavior, so confrontation is likely, but their reaction is not your responsibility. ” – Chase Hill

70. “If they can no longer score on you, then they can no longer manipulate you.” —Dorothy McCoy, PhD, therapist, and author of The Manipulative Man

71. Try not to fit in

72. “When people pressure you to engage in negative decisions and actions, look at them boldly in the eyes and dare them to do good. ” – Edmond Mbiaka

73. “Manipulation is a contagious disease, much more dangerous than the flu because it can endure for a lifetime. ” — Dorothy McCoy

74. “And pity–people who inspire it in you are actually very powerful people. To get someone else to take care of you, to feel sorry for you–that takes a lot of strength, smarts, manipulation. Very powerful people.”

75. “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. ” – Søren Kierkegaard

76. “You'd do it if you loved me. ”

77. “Manipulating people always involves utilizing a half-truth or a lie in order to achieve a certain goal. ” — Ralf Juhre

78. Projection. A defence mechanism that narcissists u

79. “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. ” – George Orwell

80. “People who are easily manipulated are those who are not sure of themselves. ” ― Alain de Botton

81. “Life is short. Don’t waste it with negative people who don’t appreciate you. Keep them in your heart but keep them out of your life. ” – Anonymous

82. “All writing is a form of manipulation, of course, but you realize that a plain sentence can actually do so much.”

83. “He seems like a man who knows what he wants, and the problem is he wants what I want. ” – Abbi Glines

84. “Toxic people make you think you’re holding a grudge when you’re really holding a boundary.” —Mel Robins, motivational speaker

85. They twist everything you say, to make you look or feel bad.

86. “You're too sensitive. ”

87. “One of the methods of manipulation is to inoculate individuals with the bourgeois appetite for personal success.  – Paulo Freire

88. “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.”

89. “Anger, resentment and jealousy doesn’t change the heart of others– it only changes yours. ” – Shannon L. Alder

90. . . “The greatest form of manipulation is when you convince someone that their own thoughts and 

91. They say awful things, then deny that they said it.

92. “The success of the manipulation depends on the level of conviction and force of the denial. ” — Tess Binder

93. “While you can’t control someone’s negative behavior, you can control how long you participate in it. ” – Anonymous

94. “Foreknowledge of the future makes it possible to manipulate both enemies and supporters. ” – Raymond Aron

95. “The greatest manipulation in our society is the manipulation of language. ” ― George Orwell

96. “You can’t manipulate people who know how to think for themselves. ” – Trish Mercer

97. “Wheelies” with Yoga Wheel

98. “I'm constantly lying to my dog. He only responds to manipulation and blackmail. ” – Riley 

99. “No love is conditional. If love is conditional, it’s emotional manipulation masquerading as love.” —Donald Miller, author of Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy

100. “We also know the power of sex to attract someone we want, and we know how easy it is to manipulate another person by withholding it. ” – Susan Forward

101. “Remember that any time you’re filled with resentment, you’re turning the controls of your emotional life over to others to manipulate. ” — Wayne Dyer

102. “Often enough the manipulator approaches, stimulates, or even creates a powerful wish or a strong desire in the target’s mind. ” — Sapir Handelman

103. When people learn no tools of judgment and merely follow their hopes, the seeds of political manipulation are sown. – Stephen Jay Gould

104. “Some people pretend to be the beach, but they are actually quicksand.” —Steve Maraboli, behavioral scientist, counselor, and author

105. “This means you’re going to have to set and stick to some firm boundaries, but remember that boundaries are not meant to control people, but to ensure that you’re still able to remain in a relationship with them in a healthy way,” says Holland. “Boundaries are not heartless, they’re actually really healthy.”

106. “One must change one’s tactics every ten years if one wishes to maintain one’s superiority. ” – Napoleon Bonaparte

107. “How can I be expected to love someone who tries such crude manipulations as bringing me breakfast in bed?” — Matt Groening

108. “Manipulation aims to modify another person’s choices by directly, but clandestinely modifying a person’s psychology. ” — Michael Cholbi

109. “Are you trying to manipulate me? It’s working. ” – Bridget Moynahan

110. “Manipulation, fueled with good intent, can be a blessing. But when used wickedly, it is the beginning of a magician’s karmic calamity. ” – T. F. Hodge

111. “I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you. ” – Friedrich Nietzsche

112. We quickly forget how they made us feel

113. “Manipulative people do not consider the other person’s point of view; they will take at the expense of others.” —Richard Malthouse, ‎EdD, professor, and author

114. “Everybody has the ability to be manipulative, to be hateful and deceitful. ” – Neil LaBute

115. “When they can no longer control or manipulate you, they smear you. ” — Steve Maraboli

116. “Biggest tool of manipulation is words so always interpret the meaning rather than the words. ” – Unknown

117. “Manipulation is the dark side of charisma. ” ― Max Weber

118. “When people are vulnerable to control, they feel that they are selfish for deciding what to do with their own property. In reality, deciding for ourselves is the only way we can ever have true love, for then we are giving freely.” 

119. “Manipulation is a contagious disease which is much more dangerous than a pandemic because it can endure you for a lifetime. ” – Unknown

120. “Yes, he took care of me and helped me, but these good deeds were the water to make his seed of manipulation grow. ” — Abigail Osborne

121. “Men are used as they use others. ” – Bidpai

122. “Toxic people can be manipulators and their behavior will often confuse you because there is a lack of consistency. One minute they will be happy, the next they may be crying out for attention because their life is so terrible. Not only do you feel uncomfortable around these people but you also don’t feel good about yourself when you are around them. ” –Chase Hill

123. “One must change one’s tactics every ten years if one wishes to maintain one’s superiority.”

124. “I’m constantly lying to my dog. He only responds to manipulation and blackmail. ” – Riley Keough

125. “It’s amazing how much manipulation is going on in parasites. ” ―Jacob Koella

126. “Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free. ” – Jim Morrison

127. “If you want to know the outcome of a game before the game has even started, you need to control each side.”

128. “Love bombing alone feels amazing in the beginning. The bombardment of affection, kind words, and unexpected gifts in the early days of a relationship may even seem normal. However, narcissistic love bombing is a manipulative technique that is used to hook the person into a committed relationship before they become aware that they are being played. ” – Chase Hill

129. “Aggressive or manipulative people do not consider the other person’s point of view; they will take at the expense of others. ” — Richard Malthouse

130. “I might be manipulating you to create risk for myself. ” – Sharon Stone

131. “Manipulation in relationships can become so toxic that the result is a breakdown in that relationship. ” – Chase Hill

132. “Jealousy is such an ugly emotion. ” – Cassandra Clare

133. “A heart of manipulation is to be empathized without being touched. ” – Unknown

134. “You shouldn't feel that way. ”

135. Peruse these manipulation quotes so you can 

136. “Everybody has the ability to be manipulative, to be hateful and deceitful.”

137. “I don't like drama. ”

138. “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.”

139. “The victim of a manipulator will often question their own sanity and feel like they are the problem. Due to the abuse, the person will often live in fear and report they are constantly walking on eggshells,” says Phillips.

140. “Emotional abuse is any type of abuse that is not physical in nature. It can include everything from verbal abuse to the silent treatment, domination to subtle manipulation. ” — Beverly Engel

141. They want to get you emotional so they can see how you tick

142. “One key reason is that our blackmailers make it nearly impossible to see how they’re manipulating us, because they lay down a thick fog that obscures their actions. We’d fight back if we could, but they ensure that we literally can’t see what is happening to us. I use fog as both a metaphor for the confusion blackmailers create in us and as a lens for burning it off. ” – Susan Forward

143. “I have no interest in trying to manipulate people’s emotions or opinions. ” ― Sarah Kane

144. Create a greater sense of purpose

145. “Whining is a form of manipulation. People will give anything to make you shut up. ” — Jessica Zafra

146. “Manipulation is a way to control others and keep them under your power. ” ― Steve Maraboli

147. “Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful. ” – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

148. “The art of pleasing is the art of deception.”

149. “You need to know how to successfully understand human psychology to manipulate anyone so that you can ‘earn’ your position at the top and keep it. ” ― Leonard Moore

150. “While some emotional blackmailers are clear in their threats, others may send us mixed signals, acting kindly much of the time and resorting to blackmail only occasionally. All this makes it difficult to see when a pattern of manipulation is developing in a relationship. ” – Susan Forward

151. “Condescending, pretentious, insufferable, callous, manipulative bast***s giving unsolicited advice when they should perhaps have a good look at their own protruding bellies. The sheer irony!” 

152. “Just because something isn’t a lie does not mean that it isn’t deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.” —Criss Jami, American philosopher and author of Killosophy

153. “One of the methods of manipulation is to inoculate individuals with the bourgeois appetite for personal success.”

154. “These behaviors are usually the individual’s attempt at maintaining power or control in a relationship, though they may not be aware of the damage they are causing to others,” says Masopust.

155. Trust your judgment

156. “Gaslighting is one of the most painful forms of manipulation because you start to question your own reality and sanity. If you ask your partner to do the shopping and they don’t, they might turn around and say that you never asked them. Manipulators will use phrases that can be subtle like, “Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” to “You are just being crazy,” both of which will make you question what has really happened. ” – Chase Hill

157. “Nothing manipulates people more than the desire to please. ” – Zoe Durlock

158. “When you acquire enough inner peace and feel really positive about yourself, it’s almost impossible for you to be controlled and manipulated by anybody else. ” — Wayne Dyer

159. “I’m manipulating the audience. I’m making sure people sympathize. ” ― Melinda Clarke

160. “It is said that we are all guilty of using manipulation on occasion instead of communicating our needs and desires in a direct way. ” ― Adelyn Birch

161. If you are their target, they will have intensely studied you, and will know all of your 

162. “Manipulation is the use of deceit to achieve one’s objectives. ” ― B. F. Skinner

163. “You're overreacting!”

164. They focus their attention only on their own unhappiness. They never acknowledge your pain.

165. “Only until you rise above the use of the second attention for manipulation that you can enter into a consciousness in which there is enlightenment. ” — Frederick Lenz

166. “There are those whose primary ability is to spin wheels of manipulation. It is their second skin and without these spinning wheels, they simply do not know how to function. They are like toys on wheels of manipulation and control. If you remove one of the wheels, they'll never be able to feel secure, be whole.” 

167. “Manipulation is often more effective than force. ” ― Sun Tzu

168. “In order to manipulate your emotions so they can get what they want, they first have to get you to open up to them. Once they have gained your trust and you start sharing your feelings, they will then have ammunition to use against you. ” – Chase Hill

169. “Whoever controls the money controls you. – Sharon Law Tucker

170. “The Flock have come a long way in their acceptance of this, and when a professional refused to deal with them in a straightforward manner and, in fact, manipulated and deceived them in return-they rebelled fiercely but self-protectively.” 

171. “When ambition gets out of hand we are vulnerable to manipulation by others.” —Keith Campbell, PhD, social psychologist, ethics professor and author

172. “The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.”

173. “For example, those with antisocial personality disorder may come across as very charming, but their goal may be to have control or harm you,” he says.

174. “Boundaries and saying no are the best ways to avoid manipulation, but these aren’t skills that come naturally to everyone. ” – Chase Hill

175. “Emotional blackmail is a powerful form of manipulation in which people close to us threaten, either directly or indirectly, to punish us if we don’t do what they want. ” – Susan Forward

176. “As I have said a thousand times, no manipulation can put stocks down and keep them down.”

177. “Are you trying to manipulate me? It’s working.”

178. “You can’t control the weather, but that doesn’t stop some people from trying. ” – Frank Sonnenberg

179. “A person who does not reign in their ambition can be persuaded and manipulated into doing things that are morally and ethically wrong just so that they can meet their goals. ” — James W. Williams

180. “Whoever controls the money controls you.”

181. “Guilt is a special kind of manipulation tactic. ” — D. T Bloom

182. “Manipulation is the conscious act of causing someone to do a certain thing or act in a certain way. ” ― Edward Benedict

183. “A manipulator puts his hand on your shoulder to sit on your neck.” 

184. “You are a manipulator. I like to think of myself more as an outcome engineer. ” – J. R. Ward

185. “Until you realize how easily it is for your mind to be manipulated, you remain the puppet of someone else’s game. ” ― Elvita Ochel

186. “If you don’t give education to people, it is easy to manipulate them.”

187. “When they can no longer control or manipulate you, they smear you.” —Steve Maraboli, behavioral scientist, counselor, and author of Unapologetically You

188. We like to believe that they have changed for the better

189. ” “Manipulation, fueled with good intent, can be a blessing. But when 

190. “When David and I went to visit my mom, she treated me well and seemed interested in our lives, focusing less on what she needed from me or how I should be taking care of her. 

191. “Just because something isn’t a lie does not mean that it isn’t deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.”

192. “There are three types of lies — lies, damn lies, and statistics. ” – Benjamin Disraeli

193. “It’s also really important that we don’t project our own values onto a manipulator, because that just sets us up for a lot of disappointment and frustration,” Holland adds. 

194. “I know that we create our own reality, but dealing with manipulation is an uncomfortable lesson that many have had to learn. ” — Zoe Hagon

195. “I measured love by the extent of my jealousy. ” – Graham Greene

196. “If you are an approval addict, your behavior is as easy to control as that of any other junkie. All a manipulator need do is a simple two-step process: Give you what you crave, and then threaten to take it away. Every drug dealer in the world plays this game.” —Harriet B. Braiker, PhD, psychologist, and author of Who’s Pulling Your Strings? How To Break the Cycle of Manipulation and Regain Control of Your Life

197. Gaslighting. They will make you question everything about yourself, including the people around you and your sanity

198. “I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me. ” – S. E. Hinton

199. “If a manipulative person grew up in a home characterized by competitiveness and conflict, this can carry with them into adulthood,” he explains. “If they were abandoned by a parent or a caretaker, they can crave attention as an adult and may manipulate to achieve it.” 

200. “True love is built on free will and free choice, not control and manipulation. ” – Ken Poirot

201. “The fact is, it is okay to have manipulative people in your life as long as you know how to handle them and don’t end up being controlled and dictated by them. That doesn’t mean carrying on as if nothing happened. Learning the essential skills to spot and stop manipulation is how you are going to take back the power over your own life and start to enjoy yourself more. ” – Chase Hill

202. “It’s so easy to manipulate an audience, but it’s nearly always clear that you are being manipulated. I think even people that are not critically attuned are aware of cynical manipulation in film. ” – John Boorman

203. “Don’t become manipulated by the illusion of who you think you are, or who you think you should be. ” – Steven Redhead

204. “Toxic people make you think you’re holding a grudge when you’re really holding a boundary. ” — Mel Robins

205. “Clever manipulators master the art of telling just enough of the truth to sell their lie.” 

206. “Will people ever be wise enough to refuse to follow bad leaders or to take away the freedom of other people?” 

207. “Any kind of manipulation with human embryos should be prohibited.”

208. “Just because something isn’t a lie does not mean that it isn’t deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction. ” — Criss Jami

209. “The only way to win with a toxic person, is not to play. ” – Unknown

210. “A ‘Svengali’ is more than just someone who is manipulative. It’s somebody who makes you think you need him in order to accomplish anything.” —Ann Beattie, novelist

211. “The lack of a sense of history makes us really prey to manipulation. ” — Terence McKenna

212. “Half of the people lie with their lips; the other half with their tears.”

213. “Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies. ” – Dorothy Allison

214. “As I have said a thousand times, no manipulation can put stocks down and keep them down. ” ― Edwin Lefevre

215. “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” 

216. “Toxic behavior and manipulation are best friends walking down the street together. They bounce off each other, fuel each other, and creep up on you without your being aware. It is perfectly normal for us to not notice when we are being manipulated, mainly because nobody wants to think that our friends and family are capable of such techniques. ” –Chase Hill

217. “Manipulation is a contagious disease, much more dangerous than the flu because it can endure for a lifetime.” —Dorothy McCoy, PhD, therapist, and author

218. Name-calling. Used to hurt you and includes comparing you to others, or suggesting other people are better than you

219. “Jealousy, that dragon which slays love under the pretense of keeping it alive. ” – H. Havelock Ellis

220. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. ” – Alice Walker

221. “Because of their need to manipulate, it is always best not to share too much with a sociopath. ” – Chase Hill

222. “Manipulation can give you anything in life you want, if you can afford it.”

223. “Often enough the manipulator approaches, stimulates, or even creates a powerful wish or a strong desire in the target’s mind.” —Sapir Handelman, PhD, professor and author of Thought Manipulation

224. They are experts at using passive aggressive behaviors to hurt you.

225. ” · “Life is too short to let stupid people manipulate you. ” · “The only 

226. Their situations or problems are always so much worse than everyone else.

227. “As I was growing up, no one in my family got their needs met through respectful negotiation and compromise. The only victories I had ever seen my mom achieve were small, and she had accomplished them through manipulation, which was one of the few techniques she had for surviving her relationship with my father. Later, after his death, manipulation had become a way of life for her. It became innate for me too, even though I wanted her to be more direct, and I hated it when she manipulated me.” 

228. “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. ” – Carrie Fisher

229. ‘Moving the goalposts’

230. “Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself. ” – Baz Luhrmann

231. “No matter what you have been through, you’re still here. You may have been challenged, hurt, betrayed, beaten, and discouraged, but nothing has defeated you. You are still here! You are not a victim, you are a victor. You have a history of victory.” —Steve Maraboli, behavioral scientist, counselor, and author of Unapologetically You

232. “make an agreement to exercise mutual control over each other. The unspoken pact between them is, “It’s my job to make you happy, and your job to make me happy. And the best way to get you to work on my life is to act miserable. The more miserable I am, the more you will have to try to make me feel better.” Powerless people use various tactics, such as getting upset, withdrawing, nagging, ridiculing, pouting, crying, or getting angry, to pressure, manipulate, and punish one another into keeping this pact. However, this ongoing power play does nothing to make them happy and mitigate their anxiety in the long term. In fact, their anxiety only escalates by continually affirming that they are not actually powerful. Any sense of love and safety they feel by gaining or surrendering control is tenuous and fleeting. A relational bond built on mutual control simply cannot produce anything remotely like safety, love, or trust. It can only produce more fear, pain, distrust, punishment, and misery. And when taken to an extreme, it produces things like domestic violence.” 

233. “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. ” – Marcus Aurelius

234. . . Life is too short to be manipulated by idiots. With a poisonous individual, the only way to win is to refuse to . .

235. “Her childhood, then her adolescence, had taught her patience, hope, silence, and the easy manipulation of the weapons and virtues of all prisoners. ” ― Colette

236. “Love without sacrifice is like theft.”

237. “Whether they’re family or friends, manipulators are difficult to escape from. Give in to their demands and they’ll be happy enough, but if you develop a spine and start saying no, it will inevitably bring a fresh round of head games and emotional blackmail. You’ll notice that breaking free from someone else’s dominance will often result in them accusing you of being selfish. Yes, you’re selfish, because you’ve stopped doing what they want you to do for them. Wow. Can these people hear themselves?!”

238. “Belief can be manipulated. Only knowledge is dangerous. ” – Frank Herbert

239. “Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.”

240. “One man with a gun can control 100 without one.”

241. “Because to take away a man’s freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.”

242. “If one parent doesn’t check in with the other parent, the teen may be given permission to go with those friends,” Drake explains. 

243. “Manipulating people is what’s so fun about poker. I love that you can just look into someone’s eyes and lie – and it’s perfectly acceptable. ” — Cheryl Hines

244. “People turned against each other cannot turn against those responsible. ” – DaShanne Stokes

245. They use guilt trips to control people.

246. “Never apologize for things that aren’t your fault, and don’t allow yourself to be manipulated into saying sorry. ” – Chase Hill

247. “Remind yourself that you’re just a human being, doing the best you can, and that is enough.”

248. “The art of pleasing is the art of deception. ” – Luc De Clapiers

249. “Vision without integrity is not mission — it’s manipulation. ” – Howard G. Hendricks

250. “No love is conditional. If love is conditional, it’s just some sort of manipulation masquerading as love. ” — Donald Miller

251. “Although the ways in which people manipulate can vary greatly, there are a certain number of techniques and traits that manipulators have in common. Understanding these will help you to recognize the signs earlier and be better prepared. ” – Chase Hill

252. “Don’t let toxic people infect you with the fear of giving and receiving one of the most powerful forces in this world… LOVE!​” – ​Yvonne Pierre

253. “No one has the patent on you. ” – Katie St. Claire

254. “Projection is when you displace your own feelings onto another person. In most cases, it is a defense mechanism but manipulators use it to hand over the responsibility of their own negative emotions. Examples could be an angry manipulator accusing their victim of always being angry, or a cheating partner who starts to suspect their partner is also cheating. ” – Chase Hill

255. “Lying is not only a defense mechanism; it’s also a coping mechanism and a survival technique.”

256. “One very simple way to avoid being manipulated is to share your intentions. The more people know how you feel, what you are doing, and what your goals are, the harder it is for manipulators to control how others view you. ” – Chase Hill

257. “Condescending, pretentious, insufferable, callous, manipulative douchebag giving unsolicited advice when they should perhaps have a good look at their own protruding bellies. The sheer irony!” 

258. “People who have been diagnosed with borderline personality may manipulate others in order to have their needs met. But there doesn’t have to be a mental health diagnosis to engage in manipulative tactics. ” – Chase Hill

259. “If you feel confused because someone tells you that they love you, but they don’t act like they do, judge them by their actions alone. You will have your answer. ” — Adelyn Birch

260. “Abuse manipulates and twists a child’s natural sense of trust and love. Her innocent feelings are belittled or mocked and she learns to ignore her feelings.”

261. “Really, it’s a little bit like bullying, but if you feel like you are always at the end of a joke and these jokes hurt your feelings, you are dealing with a manipulator. In front of the others, they are just being funny, a bit of innocent humor. However, they are fully aware that their joke causes you pain and they might even rub salt in the wound by telling you that you are too sensitive. ” – Chase Hill

262. “Envy is when you want what someone else has. Jealousy’s when you also don’t want them to have it. ” – Kirsten Hubbard

263. “Playing with people’s feelings through manipulation is a way of controlling their hearts. ” — Ron Prat

264. “Manipulation is application of intelligence on people to achieve a pre-meditated outcome solely benefitting the former than latter.” ” 

265. “Half of the people lie with their lips; the other half with their tears. ” – Nassim Nicholas Taleb

266. “The best way to manipulate a man is to make him think he is manipulating you.”

267. “Manipulation is moving someone’s settings away from the ideal in ways that are typically not in her self-interest, or likely not in her self-interest in the present context. ” — Robert Noggle

268. “An apology without change is just manipulation. ” – Unknown

269. “Belief can be manipulated. Only knowledge is dangerous.”

270. Hit their center of gravity

271. Stop compromising

272. They try to intimidate you with aggression or anger.

273. “Manipulation gets people to do something they aren't likely to do if given the opportunity to think. 

274. The idealization ends. The narcissist begins to withdraw affection and spends more time with other people

275. “Manipulative people do not consider the other person’s point of view; they will take at the expense of others. ” — Richard Malthouse

276. “Until you realize how easy it is for your mind to be manipulated, you remain the puppet of someone else’s game. ” – Evita Ochel

277. Take responsibility for yourself

278. “Life is a constant daily manipulation. ” – Deyth Banger

279. “Because of our built-in insecurity, we are very sensitive when it is manipulated. ” — Rick Tobin

280. “Narcissists and sociopaths frequently use manipulation and they are fully aware of their behavior. ” – Chase Hill

281. “The heart of manipulation is to empathize without being touched. ” — Vernor Vinge

282. “I said I was sorry! What more do you want from me?”

283. “Manipulation can give you anything in life you want, if you can afford it. ” – M. F. Moonzajer

284. “Toxic people attach themselves like cinder blocks tied to your ankles, and then invite you for a swim in their poisoned waters. ” – John Mark Green

285. “Generally, it’s one particular person—a partner, a parent, a sibling, a friend —who manipulates us so consistently that we seem to forget everything we know about being effective adults. ” – Susan Forward

286. “The measure of a man is what he does with power. ” — Greek Proverb

287. “No one believes a liar. Even when she’s telling the truth. ” – Sara Shepard

288. “Manipulation, fueled with good intent, can be a blessing. But when used wickedly, it is the beginning of a magician’s karmic calamity.”

289.  Manipulative People Quotes and Sayings. “Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words. ”

290. “Toxic people will pollute everything around them. Don’t hesitate. Fumigate. ” – Mandy Hale

291. “But it isn’t really words that manipulate reality, it is the manipulation of words and that is something speakers and writers do. ” — James Paul Gee

292. “Genuine sincerity opens people’s hearts, while manipulation causes them to close. ” — Daisaku Ikeda

293. “I’m the one who is working all the time, while you are spending time with friends. I deserve this expense.”

294. “Manipulation is a form of power, but it is an ugly and destructive one. ” ― Richard Bach

295. “Now, all of a sudden, you're 

296. · Manipulative people are those who 

297. “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. ” – Jimi Hendrix

298. “Maddening interactions like these are among the most common causes of friction in almost every relationship, yet they’re rarely identified and understood. Often these instances of manipulation get labeled miscommunication. We tell ourselves, “I’m operating from feelings and he’s operating from intellect” or “She’s just coming from a different mind-set. ” But in reality, the source of friction isn’t in communication styles. It’s more in one person getting his or her way at the expense of another. These are more than simple misunderstandings— they’re power struggles” – Susan Forward

299. “Domineering-types may appear omnipotent but, inevitably, will smother everything they love and lose all. ” – Stewart Stafford

300. “One key reason is that our blackmailers make it nearly impossible to see how they’re manipulating us, because they lay down a thick fog that obscures their actions. We’d fight back if we could, but they ensure that we literally can’t see what is happening to us. I use fog as both a metaphor for the confusion blackmailers create in us and as a lens for burning it off. ” – Susan Forward