Common Mind Games People Play On You & How To Outsmart

Credit: canva By Ramsha Nayab Feb 4,2023

Gas Lighting

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Negative Humor

[{"selector":"#anim-bcab3c4d-c891-45cb-a161-c88cbc59e0bb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fcfc46f0-b964-44b3-b561-a09c94c5f53a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-133.33333%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-198d41a1-620d-4af1-9490-7bfc082e2bdf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5dce64d1-8d96-430a-b090-7e5bcbc1d4db","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(122.61484%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cad6fe36-dc29-4a71-8331-39e723733f6e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-1.0658141036401503e-14%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Most of us have been in a situation where someone made critical remarks about us, disguised as sarcasm or humor, to make us feel inferior or less secure. How to outsmart: Smile and put that person in the spotlight by asking them questions. Credit: Canva

Victimhood

[{"selector":"#anim-407698a5-233d-4b9b-9972-804ebc5812ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d65a2706-af7b-460d-92e3-9b291cdf34c4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-134.95935%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d3de0a1c-68d7-4c43-a6e8-05f0806e9056","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dae1f515-b824-4365-8b85-4c2e4152f1b3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(122.96820%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1b6d96e5-18e7-47e6-9a61-c9d7bb8af485 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Victimhood is designed to exploit your goodwill, guilty conscience, and protective and nurturing instinct to benefit personally. How to outsmart: Do not get emotionally involved or, better yet, let go of that relationship. Credit: Canva

Pretending Ignorance

[{"selector":"#anim-5d2a9865-29f8-4f60-a5b5-964a838d58ce","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-12d0732b-c988-43fb-a115-e97bc086ba63","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-123.82672%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a1e77f05-3479-4091-b678-ab7115659c4b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2fd6d15e-5e05-456d-b557-6050773ab42d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(125.65055%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eef646fa-a901-4a96-9ee2-5e1dfd961b3a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] This is a common one. Don’t you hate it when people play dumb to get away with something? Yeah, me too. How to outsmart: Judge people by their actions and not their intention. Credit: Canva

Projection

[{"selector":"#anim-32d6b9a2-4240-4f06-b944-53d8e891a9c0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e27047d0-0d01-49be-9c2a-008c5d1ce3ff","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-130.19608%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ddc8391f-760a-4c19-94f8-c9b686d91151","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f28ae787-34f4-4e92-a23e-1187009e9b37","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(124.73118%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5af89195-c577-4200-b8aa-8981685fe2bb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Credit: Canva

Guilt Tripping

[{"selector":"#anim-f5a50ada-272c-467f-9082-095d642cd739","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f1daace5-3ace-4b2f-8879-114d1ac6c193","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-131.37256%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cba323d8-02cb-4dba-8768-c22e3da045ec","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0f1b5bee-aa5b-4e46-9dd7-8505f7f1e09f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(127.24014%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a30dcc29-41e3-4fbc-b5a4-b9689b84c9e7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.552713678800501e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Credit: Canva

Silent Treatment

[{"selector":"#anim-763a38ce-ed28-4562-8889-b492c8394d9f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7d5e12f3-4721-4bd1-a147-2c6779de6b75","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-123.57143%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-45bafb5c-a436-42bd-9e21-52cff706cf47","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4d5e2214-d64b-4f24-9626-f63a7f10307e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(131.34921%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-acfb6b77-93ff-41a8-9ed8-4bfee1f327c1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Giving the silent treatment by ignoring messages, calls, or questions to make you feel uncertain and to make you start doubting yourself. How to outsmart: Ignore it until it blows over. Credit: Canva

Constant Criticism

[{"selector":"#anim-93330605-1ac9-4604-8b8e-7a7432a527ed","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d78d6268-7dce-4f05-956e-93b8436e575b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.14285%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a0309f2a-70c7-4f28-ad1f-844f10466ef3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6ea5dfd8-3d47-4c8a-97a6-0d47b1e1470d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(131.34921%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0fa75a65-35af-4dbc-a3f3-a0f52aff44b3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Constantly marginalizing, ridiculing, and dismissing you to make you feel inferior and to make them feel superior. How to outsmart: Say thank you and get on with your life. Credit: Canva