One of the most significant reasons for unhappiness in people’s lives is that we cannot be the narrator of the stories others tell about us. That we have no control over what others believe and say about the things we do and the type of person we are.
In some capacity, we have all been there at some point
“If he knew me well, he would like me.”
“If they had grasped my intent with that joke, they would not have been offended.”
“No, that is not what happened; they have it completely incorrect, and it makes me appear like the evil person.”
It is rather common to occasionally feel misunderstood or mischaracterized by the people in our lives. However, some individuals take this experience to extremely abnormal lengths and respond in extremely inappropriate ways.
It is difficult for persons with narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders to empathise with others because they lack the ability to feel empathy. When they lack empathy, they regard other people as nothing more than commodities that can be utilised to achieve their own ends, whether that be power, fortune, or sex.
They become manipulative because their interest is not in connecting, understanding, or helping the other person but in exploiting and taking advantage of the other person. The more brilliant and insightful they are, the more adept they will be at influencing others to achieve their goal.
For these people, not being able to tell the tales of others is an unacceptable impediment that must be surmounted rather than a sad but essential reality. Making people think about themselves and others in a way that is favourable to the manipulator is a major part of their existence.
One way to tell whether someone is a manipulator is by how much time and effort they put into influencing your thoughts about them, others, and/or your thoughts about yourself. This is who I am and what I do. You can always count on her to be a pain in the neck. You are lacking in a variety of ways. You require my assistance for a variety of reasons. You have done me wrong in a variety of ways.
The whole social existence of a virulent manipulator focuses around shaping people’s narratives about what is going on in their circle in a way that is advantageous to the manipulator. Influencing the thoughts people have about themselves and the tales they tell each other.
A narrative is just a story. When most people hear the term “story,” they envision a work of fiction, something made up for the enjoyment of others. However, the vast majority of the tales we encounter are about our own lives and the lives of others, both in our brains and in our exchanges with others.
“Shahzaib went to the store” is a story, regardless of whether Shahzaib actually went to the store. “Shahzaib is a jerk” is a story. Whether the justifications for Shahzaib being a jerk contain factual statements or not. It is a description of an event or scenario that may be correct, wrong, or a mixture of the two.
The manipulator resides in this uncertain link between story and truth. They spend their days employing facts, half-truths, and outright lies to frame reality in a way that is advantageous to them. Filling the minds of individuals with a vision of the world that continuously portrays them in a favourable light and their opponents in an unfavourable light.
Because manipulators make their living off of manipulating others, everything that interferes with their capacity to influence is regarded as a danger. Being caught doing something heinous, which makes people less inclined to believe what they say in the future. Someone who realises they are being deceived and refuses to trust what the manipulator says. Worst of all, everyone they know begins to gossip about what dishonest manipulators they are.
Being totally visible to everyone is one of the terrifying existential dangers possible for the manipulator. They frequently project their anxiety onto others, threatening to disclose the secrets of individuals they do not like because it is one of the most terrible threats they can make.
This entire dynamic is embodied in the United States’ consolidated empire. Propaganda, censorship, government secrecy, and the assault on journalists are just a few of the methods used to manipulate the narrative. It churns out endless tales of its virtuosity and the depravity of its foes. Its greatest apprehension is being observed.
When it comes to global dominance, the United States is a formidable military and economic force, but its most potent weapon is its capacity to influence public perceptions of what is going on. To the best of my knowledge, no empire has ever used oligarchic media, Silicon Valley and Hollywood to influence public opinion and, in turn, the way people think, behave, and vote on such a massive scale.
Propaganda is only effective when the target is unaware of it. Censorship is only effective if it does not draw attention to the banned material. The relentless drive of the US empire to control the major narratives of the globe can only succeed if it is shielded from public observation. Those who raise attention to these issues are therefore slandered, vilified, silenced, ostracised, imprisoned, or worse, by empire management.
If you ever find yourself in a relationship with a manipulator, your capacity to escape is directly tied to your ability to see them. The manipulator’s wrath may be terrifying and deadly when there is such a stark disparity between their goals and those of the other party.
And I believe that humanity’s relationship with the US empire is reaching that point. Flickerings of panic begin to arise when the manipulator is seen by a few more people than it would want. They do not frequently turn away once they realise what lies behind the guise of story fabrication. In fact, they tend to bring greater attention to it since they point to it. It is a tense time to be a human. However, it is also intriguing. Unprecedented in the history of the universe.