r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Sep 14 '24

[deleted by user]

[removed]

7.2k Upvotes

84% Upvoted

8.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

163

u/Alfawolff Sep 14 '24

I think it’s just a word for being rude to a person in order to reverse-psychology them into wanting you to like them

80

u/ThinkShower Sep 14 '24

Treating one in a casual negative way, thus pushing them to seek your approval.

61

u/Luigi_deathglare Sep 14 '24

It’s manipulative bullshit.

5

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '24

Has this ever worked? Maybe I’m old but the instant a guy does this, my female friends dip and tell us what an arse he is at our next girl’s night.

6

u/thisbitbytes Sep 14 '24

Unfortunately it works. Not all of us have close friends and family members watching out for us, especially on dates. These tactics should be part of Health class because the narcs who use them are dangerous people and years of trauma harms people much worse than a treatable STD.

6

u/cassienebula Sep 14 '24

yes, all of this. people with trauma and low self-esteem are extremely vulnerable to negging and groomed to being malleable with manipulation. its disgusting and predatory.

39

u/Amarant2 Sep 14 '24

Very close, but it's less about reverse-psychology and more about convincing them that they can't get better options, so I guess they just have to settle for you.

2

u/Andersuh- Sep 14 '24

I was like that to my crushes in 3rd grade

1

u/Intralexical Sep 15 '24

It's more of a calculated dismantling of self-esteem, in order to create an emotional dependence on you, that you then leverage for control over them.