A girlfriend once called me manipulative. I eventually realized it was a) a trick i learned from my mother b) the reason i often used the "royal we" c) a ploy i used because i was afraid of asking for something directly. Now i practice asking directly for stuff in therapy, and here on pc, and try to carry it on into real life. I was afraid to ask for a schedule change, now i am much better about it. So thats one reason i am so adamant that therapy works! Kinda silly, i know.