Unfortunately, there are people who are ready to use those around them for their own purposes. Don't let yourself be manipulated and influenced by your decisions. Learn to defend yourself against such shameless individuals.
Self confidence
Your main weapon against manipulators is self-confidence. If you have low self-esteem, you easily become a driven person. Understand yourself. Learn to value, respect, and love yourself. Accept your personality and don't look back at others. Be a whole person. Make your own code of life rules and principles and do not deviate from it. Don't go against your own beliefs.
When you believe in yourself and trust yourself, you can hardly be confused. You should not blindly trust someone else's opinion. Focus more on your own feelings, on your intuition. Then no one will force you to do what you do not want, and will not be able to influence your decisions. If you have a tough choice to make, do not seek advice from friends or coworkers. Do as you see fit.
Do not depend on the assessment of others. Some people need someone's approval so much that they become easy prey for manipulators. Your desire to be liked is understandable. But understand that it is impossible to inspire sympathy with absolutely everyone. Accept that someone may not like your lifestyle, appearance, words, actions, or beliefs.
Recognize manipulation
The first and main way to protect yourself from manipulation is to understand in time that the other person is going to use you for their own purposes. Once you realize this, you can ruin the attacker's plans. After all, if you are aware of the threat, it is obvious that you will be fully armed and will not succumb to any tricks.
To recognize manipulation, you need to observe the non-verbal cues the person is giving you. Determine how much the tone of voice, facial expression, posture and gestures of your interlocutor correspond to the meaning of the words that he says to you. If there is any discrepancy in the behavior of a person, you have reason to suspect her of insincerity.
Consider if the person might have a reason to use you. Determine the true motives of the person caring you. To do this, you need the ability to collect and analyze information. Then you will be able to draw the correct conclusions about the current situation and predict according to which scenario it will develop.
It is quite easy to check if you are mistaken in your suspicions. Just don't give the person what he wants you to do. Do not behave as he asks. Act against the wishes of the potential manipulator and see his reaction. Frustration and anger will betray the person who expected you to be a pawn in his hands. If the person was upset that her request was not fulfilled, but continues to communicate with you in the same mode, perhaps your suspicions turned out to be false.
