A girl sees a table filled with yummy cakes. She would like to have some. She takes a fork and stabs her own knee, deep enough to draw blood. Her mother sees the blood. She comforts the girl and gives her a slice of cake.
"Once upon a time, there was a manipulative girl who had not been successful when she was trusting and direct."
The notion of manipulation
Manipulation is the action of influencing someone else’s thoughts and opinions in a clever or unscrupulous way.
Manipulation is about making something happen by dishonest means.
If we have bad experiences with trust and direct approaches, we look for other means. We turn to manipulation. Although it may sometimes be necessary, it should generally be avoided because it creates distrust and undermines personal ŧransparency and trust. Manipulating others into doing something they would not do voluntarily is bad and unloving behaviour.