CHAPTER TWO

35 Covert Emotional Manipulation Tactics

Love Bombing

This is a tactic designed to influence a person by a superfluous show of affection and attention. Also known as positive reinforcement, it is a preliminary tactic used to hook a person more deeply to the relationship. Flattery, praise, gifts, attention, adoration, intense sex and appreciation are some common tools used. Others include constant texting, superficial sympathy, profuse apologies, public recognition and public acknowledgement in the presence of family and friends

There will be no evident of a negative behavior at the onset but demonstrations of excessive positive virtues intend to dazzle and put the victim in a continual ecstatic state. Ideally, most normal people you just meet do not make declarations of eternal love without really knowing you. They do not engage in excessive flattery, shed crocodile tears, praise you publicly, laugh profusely at your jokes and shower you with gifts and money. Watch out! These patterns of behavior are cause for suspicion.

“Wow, you’re the most attractive woman in this room tonight!”

By continually bombarding a person with romantic encounters, declarations of once-in-a-lifetime love and flattery without any evident of negative behavior, the manipulator seeks to gain and retain the attention of the intended victim and once this is successful, the manipulator begins to unfold other deadly tactics to test their victims.