🔵 By Richard Smith. Photo by lauragrafie.
I am a firm believer that absolutely everything is a choice. Even when you’re not making a choice, you are making a choice. That choice is choosing not to participate. If someone puts a gun to your head and says, “Get on your knees”, you don’t have to. You can choose to run, do nothing, argue, beg, attempt, to talk it out or try to take the gun. Wanting power is a part of human nature. At minimum, people want power to control their own life (what you eat, drink, where you live, work, etc.) Some people desire and aspire to control not just their life, but the lives of those around them, and not just politicians either. Be careful of such people.
People who thirst to control those around them are extremely manipulative. These people are anywhere from being very charismatic to being a bully. Such a person’s goal is to make you believe that you don’t have a choice. They want to make all your thoughts and actions to align with their desires for you. Those desires are simple to nefarious.
The charismatic manipulator may be hard to say no to, because they are a salesman. Whatever it is they are trying to make you do or think, is going to be wrapped in glamour.
The bully manipulator tries to accomplish their goal with threats, acts of violence, and installing shame. After being incarcerated for over fourteen years, I have met a lot of puppets. Some people become puppets for protection. Some people become puppets out of loneliness. These people are always getting into trouble and are still miserable.
I have met men who are puppets to a code. These ones are the, if you say this or that, then they have to retaliate. These guys are the most manipulated men I have met. The master manipulator use them as tools. Know the difference when someone is only sharing a perspective rather than trying to force you to accept something. Also know that some times we can’t see the bad in our life and requires someone who cares about us to point it out. That’s a good thing. Try to see others perspective when it is not being forced on you.
You choose what you think. You choose what you do. You choose what you believe. Never give that power to another, it always ends in pain.