[ElCambio]

I used to be friends with this guy who is very manipulate; I never could have guessed. I hung out with him mainly because I felt bad for him at first. He was different when we first met freshman year. Fast forward to the summer after freshman year (summer 2013): I had him sleep over at my house, and I was just being a little flirty that night. I guess I was attracted to how naive he was. (I had a boyfriend at the time too. oops.). This was the root of the manipulation; we would soon sleep over somewhat regularly, and he would want to cuddle all the time. I would do it because I didn't see it as a big deal, and he said that he never got cuddling much when he was little. There were a few times where we drank, and I cheated afterwards. He always talked down about my boyfriend at the time too. You get the gist... (before October 2014)
--
(October 2014) Anyway, it didn't click (and even then it wasn't completely) until my friend who has had similar experiences pointed it out. She was trying to get me to stop being friends with this guy. He texted me (I don't remember what), and my friend told him that I got the message (She was kinda aggressive about it from my understanding, I didn't see it. I ignored his message because my friend advised me to). He flipped out and broke a picture frame with his textbook screaming "I'M NOT A SOCIOPATH!". This behavior is very "out of character" for him, and it all really started to make sense completely.
--
(Now) Pretty much ever since then, I've feared people thinking that I'm manipulating them or that they're manipulating me. I don't trust people as much anymore, and I'm scared of people having unclear motives. I know this isn't a lot, but I'm kinda tired of typing.

[Ruftin]

I think in this day and age we have to be selective as to who we allow into our lives. Not fearful just careful. Look for red flags such as people who try to separate you from loved ones and friends. This guy talking down about your boyfriend and the aggressive behavior, definitely a red flag. Do not be afraid but do be smart.

[ElCambio]

Originally Posted by Ruftin

I think in this day and age we have to be selective as to who we allow into our lives. Not fearful just careful. Look for red flags such as people who try to separate you from loved ones and friends. This guy talking down about your boyfriend and the aggressive behavior, definitely a red flag. Do not be afraid but do be smart.

That's the thing. He was actually super nice to my family whenever they saw them, and he was always passive. His family life is bad (his mom is just as manipulative as him), but I just thought that he was really depressed. That's when I realized that you never truly know who people really are.

[Ruftin]

True (((ElCambio))) We never truly know who people really are. I think we all come to this realization at some point in our lives but we can't shut ourselves away out of fear. It was nice that you took him in and tried to be his friend. You're very sweet. He blew it.

[divine1966]

I have the same fear. Fear that people either lie or manipulate. I can relate. Hugs

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk