The blind leading the blind

 "Abusive people often have to resort to manipulation. The tactics that they use are varied, but the more common one is censorship. If they can control what people speak or write, they use "thought control." They approve what they view as "correct speech."

Some additional tactics manipulators use are listed at Goodtherapy.org. I encourage you to look this information up for yourself. The list of tactics are:

• Using intense emotional connection to control another person's behavior
• Playing on a person's insecurities
• Lying and Denial
• Hyperbole and Generalization
• Changing the subject
• Moving the Goal Posts
• Using fear to control another person
• Using social inequities to control another person
• Passive-Aggression
• Giving a person the silent treatment
• Gaslighting
• Recruiting others to help with manipulation

Does this mean that all manipulation is inherently wrong? The thing to look for is if you still have the freedom to make your own choices. When you do make your choice, what is their response? Do they demean? Do they belittle? Do they engage you to understand your viewpoint? Do they respect you to have your own opinion?

Critical thinking is a process that a person uses to form the own opinions. It sifts through a host of varied and sometimes conflicting sources of information. It goes through a process of determining which sources are reliable and which ones are not.

A critical thinker makes decisions independently. They don't need the constant hand-holding other's need. The fight for one's independence is an ongoing challenge. Those that manipulate hate those with that independent streak in them.

Sincerely,

David A. Kitchens, Editor