chapter 19
The Kiss-Off (and the Gentle Kiss-Off)
Saying No to a Manipulator
Manipulators are a special kind of crazy. Their behavior doesn’t work in the long run, because it drives most of their allies away. But it works exceptionally well in the short run, and that’s as far as these people can see.
Manipulators want to turn their problems into your problems, and they’ll succeed if you let them. These people will leave you emotionally drained, and sometimes financially drained as well. And no matter how much you help them, they’ll be back the next week—or even the next day—wanting you to fix their latest problem.
In Just Listen, I offered one tip for getting rid of many manipulators. That’s simply to wait until they ask you to do something ...
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