80 Manipulative Tactics: The Psychological Trickery of Narcissists

Discover 80 manipulative tactics wielded by narcissists in this concise guide. Gain insight into their tactics and empower yourself against manipulation.

1. Appealing to authority: Leverages authority figures to validate or enforce actions, often to control or manipulate others’ behavior or decisions.

2. Appealing to emotions: Exploits emotions like fear, guilt, or sympathy to influence behavior or decisions, disregarding rational reasoning.

3. Appealing to logic: Manipulates through logical reasoning or arguments that seem rational but often ignore emotional or ethical considerations.

4. Baiting and switching: Offers something desirable to bait, then changes terms or withholds to force acceptance of less desirable alternatives.

5. Bargaining: Negotiates terms or conditions to gain advantage, often using leverage or threats to influence outcomes.

6. Blaming: Shifts responsibility or fault onto others, deflecting accountability and avoiding consequences for one’s actions or mistakes.

7. Charming: Uses charisma, flattery, or charm to gain trust or favor, often concealing manipulative intentions behind a likable facade.

8. Criticism disguised as concern: Masks criticism or judgment as concern or care, undermining self-esteem while appearing helpful or protective.

9. Creating a sense of obligation: Imposes a feeling of duty or indebtedness to manipulate compliance or extract favors from others.

10. Creating chaos: Introduces disorder or confusion to control situations or people, exploiting vulnerability or instability for personal gain.

11. Creating confusion: Deliberately obscures information or facts to sow doubt or uncertainty, making it easier to manipulate perceptions or decisions.

12. Cultivating dependence: Encourages reliance or dependency on the manipulator, fostering feelings of helplessness or obligation in the target.

13. Denial: Refuses to acknowledge or accept responsibility for harmful actions or behaviors, gaslighting or invalidating victims’ experiences.

14. Dismissing concerns: Invalidates or minimizes legitimate concerns or objections, discouraging dissent and maintaining control over the narrative.

15. Diversion: Redirects attention or focus away from uncomfortable truths or issues, avoiding accountability or scrutiny.

16. Emotional blackmail: Uses emotional manipulation or threats to coerce compliance or gain advantage, exploiting vulnerabilities or insecurities.

17. Emphasizing guilt: Amplifies feelings of guilt or shame to elicit desired behaviors or responses, often through passive-aggressive tactics.

18. Evoking pity: Elicits sympathy or compassion from others to manipulate perceptions or gain support, exploiting vulnerability or victimhood.

19. Feigning ignorance: Pretends lack of knowledge or awareness to evade responsibility or consequences, deflecting blame or scrutiny.

20. Fostering dependency: Encourages reliance on the manipulator for support or guidance, diminishing autonomy and fostering control over the target.

21. Gift-giving with strings attached: Offers gifts or favors to manipulate or control, expecting reciprocation or compliance in return.

22. Grandiosity: Exaggerates achievements or abilities to gain admiration or control, asserting superiority and demanding special treatment.

23. Guilt-tripping: Induces guilt or obligation to manipulate behavior or gain compliance, exploiting empathy or sense of duty.

“Intermittent reinforcement is the most powerful motivator of all.”

— B.F. Skinner

“it is a powerful tool in dog training, as it keeps dogs engaged and motivated to perform desired behaviors, even without constant rewards.” - Unknown”

— Quote Source

24. Hoarding information: Withholds or controls access to information to maintain power or advantage, limiting others’ ability to make informed decisions.

25. Hoarding resources: Controls or monopolizes resources to manipulate or exert control, creating dependency or scarcity for others.

26. Ignoring boundaries: Disregards or violates personal boundaries to assert dominance or control, disregarding others’ autonomy or consent.

27. Implying consequences: Suggests negative outcomes or repercussions to influence behavior or compliance, instilling fear or coercion.

28. Implying scarcity: Creates perception of limited availability or opportunity to induce urgency or compliance, exploiting fear of missing out.

29. Inconsistency: Behaves unpredictably or inconsistently to confuse or control, destabilizing relationships and undermining trust.

30. Insinuation: Implies or suggests negative intentions or meanings without explicit expression, manipulating perceptions or interpretations.

31. Interrupting: Disrupts communication or conversation to assert dominance or control, disregarding others’ contributions or perspectives.

32. Intimidation: Uses threats or coercion to instill fear and gain compliance, exerting power through aggression or intimidation tactics.

33. Invalidating feelings: Dismisses or belittles others’ emotions or experiences to undermine credibility or control, gaslighting or minimizing concerns.

34. Isolation from support networks: Restricts access to social support or resources to maintain control or dependency, fostering reliance on the manipulator.

35. Jokingly dismissing concerns: Dismisses or belittles serious issues or concerns under the guise of humor, invalidating or trivializing legitimate feelings.

36. Leaving out crucial details: Withholds or omits important information to manipulate perceptions or decisions, shaping narratives to favor the manipulator.

37. Making excuses: Rationalizes or justifies harmful behavior or actions to evade accountability or consequences, shifting blame onto external factors.

38. Misdirection: Redirects attention or focus away from pertinent issues or truths to evade scrutiny or accountability.

39. Omission: Deliberately leaves out or conceals relevant information to manipulate perceptions or decisions, shaping narratives to benefit the manipulator.

40. Over-exaggerating achievements: Inflates or embellishes accomplishments or abilities to gain admiration or control, seeking validation or advantage.

41. Overly controlling behavior: Exerts excessive control over others’ actions or choices, limiting autonomy and fostering dependency.

42. Overly dramatic reactions: Reacts excessively or melodramatically to manipulate emotions or gain attention, exaggerating responses for impact.

43. Passive-aggressive behavior: Expresses hostility or resentment indirectly, undermining others while maintaining plausible deniability.

44. Playing mind games: Manipulates thoughts or perceptions through deceptive or strategic tactics, creating confusion or doubt in others.

45. Playing on fear: Exploits fears or insecurities to gain compliance or control, instilling anxiety or dread to influence behavior.

46. Playing on insecurities: Targets vulnerabilities or self-doubts to manipulate emotions or behavior, exploiting weaknesses for advantage.

47. Playing the victim: Assumes victim role to elicit sympathy or deflect responsibility, portraying oneself as innocent or powerless.

48. Pretending to agree: Fakes agreement or compliance to deceive or manipulate, concealing true intentions or motives.

49. Projection: Attributes one’s own faults or motives onto others, deflecting accountability or avoiding self-awareness.

50. Rationalizing behavior: Offers logical explanations or justifications for harmful actions or decisions, minimizing responsibility or consequences.

51. Reframing: Manipulates perceptions by presenting information in a different context, shaping narratives to favor the manipulator.

52. Redirecting blame: Shifts responsibility onto others to evade accountability or consequences, deflecting criticism or scrutiny.

53. Rewarding compliance: Reinforces desired behavior with rewards or incentives, encouraging obedience or submission to gain compliance.

54. Sabotaging efforts: Undermines or obstructs others’ goals or efforts to maintain control or dominance, hindering progress or success.

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55. Scapegoating: Blames others for problems or failures to deflect attention or responsibility, scapegoating to avoid accountability.

56. Selective memory: Conveniently forgets or distorts past events or details to manipulate perceptions or avoid consequences.

57. Selective sharing of information: Chooses what information to disclose or withhold to manipulate perceptions or control narratives.

58. Seeking pity: Solicits sympathy or compassion from others to manipulate emotions or gain support, exploiting vulnerability or victimhood.

59. Self-victimization: Portrays oneself as victim to elicit sympathy or evade accountability, deflecting blame onto others or circumstances.

60. Shifting goalposts: Changes criteria or expectations to evade accountability or prolong control, moving goalposts to maintain advantage.

61. Slandering others: Spreads false or damaging information to discredit or undermine others’ reputation or credibility.

62. Silent treatment: Withdraws communication or interaction to punish or manipulate, inducing guilt or anxiety in the target.

63. Smear campaigns: Launches coordinated attacks to tarnish reputation or credibility, spreading false or exaggerated information.

64. Stonewalling: Refuses to engage or communicate to evade accountability or control, shutting down dialogue to maintain power.

65. Sulking: Displays sullen or resentful behavior to manipulate emotions or gain attention, eliciting sympathy or guilt from others.

66. Testing boundaries: Pushes limits or boundaries to gauge reactions or assert dominance, probing for vulnerabilities or weaknesses.

67. Threatening: Uses intimidation or coercion to instill fear and gain compliance, leveraging power to control or manipulate.

68. Triangulation: Creates conflict or competition between individuals to control or manipulate relationships, fostering dependency or insecurity.

69. Using children: Exploits children or parental roles to manipulate emotions or gain advantage, using offspring as leverage or pawns.

70. Using flattery for manipulation: Offers praise or compliments insincerely to manipulate or gain favor, exploiting vanity or insecurity.

71. Using guilt to gain compliance: Induces guilt or shame to coerce obedience or compliance, leveraging emotions to control behavior.

72. Using guilt-inducing language: Expresses disappointment or disapproval to manipulate emotions or behavior, invoking guilt or obligation.

73. Using silence as a weapon: Uses silence or withdrawal to punish or manipulate, instilling anxiety or insecurity in the target.

74. Using threats or ultimatums: Issues warnings or ultimatums to compel compliance or control, using fear of consequences to manipulate.

75. Withholding affection: Denies or withholds affection or intimacy to manipulate or punish, inducing insecurity or compliance in the target.

76. Withholding information: Conceals or withholds relevant details to manipulate perceptions or decisions, controlling access to knowledge or resources.

77. Withholding resources: Limits or denies access to resources or support to manipulate or control, fostering dependence or compliance.

78. Withholding support: Fails to provide assistance or encouragement to manipulate or control, inducing dependency or insecurity.

79. Withholding trust: Refuses to trust or believe others to manipulate or control, fostering doubt or insecurity in relationships.

80. Withholding validation: Withholds praise or approval to manipulate or control, leveraging validation as a tool for compliance.

Godspeed