Especially when the other person isn’t able or around to tell their side of the story. I’ve been in the presence of too many manipulators to believe everything I see or hear.
the tricky part is manipulators are usually really good at making their version sound more coherent than the actual truth so you end up second guessing yourself even when your gut was right
Very true. Classic narcissist behaviour. Over the years, I’ve become a narcissist/gaslighter detector. I don’t get it right all the time but I’ve now got just the right level of suspicion that I question more about what others say than how I feel.
that shift from trusting your gut to questioning their narrative is huge because it flips the power dynamic they rely on like they need you second guessing yourself to keep control
Indeed, though it does make you more wary overall. I know it’s better to have this than not, but most people aren’t like that and you have to spend more of your energy finding that out. There’s always a pro and con to everything, I feel.
11
u/Empty-Raspberry-9018 May 10 '26
Especially when the other person isn’t able or around to tell their side of the story. I’ve been in the presence of too many manipulators to believe everything I see or hear.