Manipulation

[ProxyAmenRa]

Is any other INTP out there manipulative?

I know I am terribly manipulative when it comes to the people that inhabit my surroundings. If they are not behaving according to what I want I use a variety of strategies to "convince" (overtly or covertly) the person or people to change their behavioral patterns. Though, every single time I have done this in the past is normally results in a systemic break down of their identity within a 6 month period.

Changing the environment around me is also having some adverse effects as I have become older and having a more coherent definition of who I am. I am in conflict with myself. A mature side stating that I should not do this because I don't have the right so to speak to control my environment and a immature side that believes imposing my fantasies on the world around me.

When I was forced to see a shrink a few years ago he determined that I has narcissistic personality disorder and that I am aware of it but I already knew this at the time. The IQ test resulted with 138. As I remember the MBTI resulted in INTJ.

These days I am much more laid back because my environment has changed many of the behavioral manifestations required in order to survive are no longer needed. I am less likely to repulsed at the mere presence of some people.

I wonder what a cognitive function test would result in.

When ever I am stressed my narcissistic side appears and I start to engage in activities of imposing my will and fantasies on the world around me. Often to my detriment of achieving real relationships with people when the period is over.

I subsequently must removed the puppets, they annoy the living hell out of me.

So any thoughts, comments or ideas please state because I will be interested.

 

[merzbau]

i'm sensitive to what's going on around me, and i manipulate my behaviour and actions to generally ease the flow of things.. i suppose it's a sort of benevolent manipulation, as i have no interest in controlling other people.

consequently i form very strong friendships with open, straightforward people.
proper manipulative people tend to avoid me socially whenever i meet them, because i can see through their little games.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

i'm sensitive to what's going on around me, and i manipulate my behaviour and actions to generally ease the flow of things.. i suppose it's a sort of benevolent manipulation, as i have no interest in controlling other people.

consequently i form very strong friendships with open, straightforward people.
proper manipulative people tend to avoid me socially whenever i meet them, because i can see through their little games.

My close friends are ones that can see right through it. Which is good, I guess. They don't really particularly care about how I deal with others.

 

[SEPKA]

I think we need to define manipulation more precisely.
Does acting someway to convince others to do what you want manipulative? If yes, then I dare say everybody is a manipulator. Does the act only played with the person's emotion? INTP might not be good at this. Does the act you convince others to do is for your benefit and detrimental to them? I don't do it (very often) but I'm not sure about others.

 

[Cavallier]

I wonder if perhaps it's not so much that as INTPs we are manipulative but that as INTPs we are more aware of it when we are being manipulative.

 

[Zero]

What?

I buffer my interaction with people, but I don't try to manipulate them. That's beyond me. If I could I would, I just suck at it. ... I mean if manipulating someone is saying, "I want to go here for dinner..." Then yeah, I'm a class A on that. It's not like I'm making anyone do something they wouldn't normally do for other people or for any similar purpose. O_< If I'm Accidentally manipulating people, that's funny, they must be weak minded and I'm not even aware of my great genius/power.

And it occasionally, if not often, works against me...

I don't have close friends. . . .

As far as my surroundings... I do literally change them, by moving stuff, getting things... in a failed attempt to be organized... I need more shelves...

 

[JUN]

Hm, I believe INTPs are easily more manipulative because of they're ability to further understand human behavior. We're observants, we observe people and understand their weaknesses. Making it easier for us to manipulate them.

Yeah, I can be pretty manipulative too, if only I had the soft talk for it (still need to grow up a bit).

 

[SEPKA]

I purposefully use fallacy to make false conclusion to lure people into doing bad stuff. Would that count?

 

[Trebuchet]

Is any other INTP out there manipulative?

I did that a lot as a teenager. I was good at it, like you. Around senior year in high school I decided it was wrong to do that and quit manipulating people for my own benefit and entertainment.

If you like using those techniques, but want to use them for a less selfish reason, try teaching. If you can get into people's minds like that, you can quickly figure out what is frustrating or confusing them and lead them gently to their own success. That's what I do. It is fun and it feels good.

Regarding a definition of what it means to manipulate, I propose "to influence people in an unscrupulous way."

The problem isn't that we have an effect on others; all people do that. Nor is it a problem to try to get others to do what we want, or agree with us or like us. The problem is trying to influence people through fear, guile, or deception.

We can make people think what they are doing is their own idea, or a good idea, or safe, when it isn't. Even if you get someone to do something good through deceit, like study harder, eventually they will stop because they aren't doing it for real reasons. Honesty is the only way to get along, for me at least, and that includes telling people my motives.

 

[floccinaucci]

I'd consider myself manipulative. but I just do it for my own entertaiment. Basically to see if I can do it or not

 

[Visar Kelmendi]

I think i could manipulate the shit out of all people, but i dont use it. Im scared of it. it makes me lose control and be a bad person. But i like to fuck.