Are you being manipulated?

Are we being manipulated by our bosses, parents, spouse, children, siblings, close friends?
Yes, are these people trying to manipulate us?

in the name of your improvment,
in the name of love,
in the name of your future,
in the name of your wealth,
in the name of your health,
in the name of your whatever %#$$^%&$ sake,
we are being manipulated.

We must have heard those words for zillion time.
Yes, by doing what he/she says, I will improve,
Yes, he/she loves me, that's why I MUST listen to him/her,
Yes, what he/she says is true, it's for my futures, I MUST listen to him/her,
Yes, if I do what he/she told me to do, I will be rich by age 30.

Sometimes, we even manipulate others intentionally/unintentionally.
Cos, we tend to think about anything, do any consideraion, make any decision, as a projection from OURSELVES.
As a parent, we manipulate our children to be future doctors or lawyers.
As a parent, we manipulate our children, in the name of love, to do whatever we say.
As a chid, we manipulated our parents to buy toys that we wanted.
As a spouse, we manipulated our husband/wife to do as we intended.
As a boss, we manipulated our subordinates, in the name of "your progress and improvement", to work overtime and work extra of the jobscopes.
As a subordinate, we manipulated our colleagues, and bosses, so that we can PROGRESS.

Skils of manipulation,
1. Make you feel guilty
2. Make you feel obligated
3. Make you feel sympathetic towards him/her
4. Make you feel embarrassed
5. Make you feel incompetitive
6. Make you feel "not good enough"
7. Make you feel bad when you express your emotion

This, generates a few types of people.
Those who are willing to be manipulated. (I don't know what's in their mind)
Those who are very resistant to be manipulated. (ie. you are still being manipulated, cos, you try so hard to resist it)
Those who manipulates.

What a sad world!!!

From wikipedia,
Social psychology

In a psychological context, manipulation means to influence a person or a group of people in such a way that the manipulator tries to get what he or she wants or makes a person believe something in a calculating, indirect and somewhat dishonest way. It is a form of psychological abuse.

For example, a manipulator will

use arguments that the manipulator does not believe in himself
or withhold or distort relevant information,
or launch false information (disinformation)
or "play" on the emotions of the person.
physically move the person, like a puppet

This might also involve propaganda when it is directed to more than one person.

There is a debate concerning the use of manipulation. For example, in general it is disturbing to have one's free will tampered with, while on the other hand, it may be desirable to manipulate or intimidate youths into taking a course of action that is alternative to their current course of actions, such as abusing firearms or narcotics.