Mental Manipulation: The invisible string that controls us

Has your partner ever repeatedly denied events or twisted facts, making you question your memory or perception? Or has a friend ever told you that you are the only one who truly understands them to create an unhealthy emotional bond, making you feel guilty for setting boundaries? At some point, we’ve all either been influenced or have influenced others, whether we acknowledge it or not. Deep down, we understand that this can be problematic.

Mental manipulation is something that weaves through our lives like invisible strings, subtly guiding our choices, beliefs, and behaviours, often so without us realising it. Our personal experiences bring their nuances into sharp focus. The encounters we go through can leave a deep emotional imprint, betrayal when we discover we have been misled, or even feel guilty when we recognise our own attempts to influence others for our own personal gains. In close relationships, manipulation can masquerade as care or compromise, often blurring the line between genuine persuasion and control.

Manipulation just does not stop at relationships or friendships, it has escalated in other ways too. For example, technology and social media have further escalated these strings, they leverage advanced algorithms to subtly guide our preferences and behaviours. It is quite easy to become a victim of manipulation, but it’s equally important to acknowledge that we may also engage in these tactics, whether intentionally or unconsciously.

Mental manipulation is not an unavoidable fate, but actually a challenge that needs to be overcome. Every experience of manipulation, whether we fall victim to it or realise we have been actively manipulating others, is an opportunity for growth and self-awareness. Resisting manipulation does not mean completely rejecting influence, it just means reclaiming our thoughts by ensuring that our choices align with our true desires and values, not someone else’s. We need to reclaim the strings and use them to guide ourselves, rather than be guided by them.