How can you tell, when someone is manipulating you, getting you to do stuff you wouldn't normally do?
This is a lesson in consent, and how manipulators use your own free will and consent against your own best interests.
I've observed this process, and you may recall your own experiences where someone got you to do something you wouldn't normally do, or wouldn't want to do of your own accord.
They start off by establishing some sort of agreement which is a common ground to spring off of.
Then they start exploring your limits for what they can get you to agree upon. They are fishing for "yes" or "maybe" or "I don't know" answers.
These questions are like a guidance system where they consider your answers in order to determine the next question where they are hoping to get a "yes" answer. They guide you down the path they want you to go in this way.
As an example:
Do you like to go swimming?
Yeah, but I don't go swimming often because I'm not a good swimmer.
During the summer time, when it's hot, it is good to feel the sun on your skin, and then the cool relief of the water to balance out the hot weather. Does that make sense to you?
Yeah.
It is pretty hot today, isn't it?
Yeah,
Wouldn't it feel good to cool off in a nice pool right now?
Yeah, that would feel pretty good right about now.
. . . .
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This process can go on for quite some time, and if the questioner's agenda (for example,) is to get you to take your clothes off, they will lead you down a Q & A where they take little steps to get you more comfortable about taking your clothes off, to the point where you will actually take your clothes off.
That is the first hurdle for the questioner to overcome. Then, getting you to do things that seem innocently simple drags you down further to where the fulfillment of their agenda may be, as an example, to get you to perform sexual acts outside of your normal desire or consent.
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I used this example because it is a touchy and uncomfortable example to engender a heightened state of awareness. Used car sales personnel often use these same tactics to get you to say "yes" as much as possible, tailoring their questions so you continue to agree, (which is giving your consent,) If you aren't truly interested, walk away, don't feel bad about doing so, (they may set you up so you DO feel bad about walking away,) Ya got to know when to walk away, regardless of their prodding and commentary. If it starts to feel uncomfortable, pay attention to that intuition.
The point to consider is this, don't go down that path unless you are actually wanting to go there. If you find yourself saying yes to a lot of questions, let that be a warning sign, a sign post along the way, a warning. You could ultimately find yourself in a circumstance where you do things you would not normally choose to do. And, if there are cameras around, hidden or otherwise, they may have stuff to blackmail you with and get you to do even more stuff that could be illegal and/or immoral.
The best defense, is to be in the know, to establish your limits and not go beyond them unless you actually want to go beyond them.
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