Category Archives: Manipulation

Love Bombing Is Covert Aggression

September 25, 2026Abuse, Aggression, Covert-Aggression, Empowerment, gaslighting, impression management, Integrity, Love, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Manipulators, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychobable, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Relationships, Social Issuescharm, charmer, covert-aggression, ego massage, manipulative, narcissist, Narcissists, seduce seduction, spell, tactics, thiefDr. Simon

Love bombing has little to do with genuine love. It’s a tactic to charm, disarm, and seduce you into doing what you otherwise might not.

The Grandiose Narcissist’s Image is Built on Lies

July 29, 2026Abuse, conscience, Integrity, Manipulation, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Relationships, Self-Esteem, Spiritualityfiction, higher power, image, lies, lying, narcisists, submission, subordination, truthDr. Simon

The grandiose narcissist’s image is built on lies. The lack of substance underneath is not the cause of the lies, it’s the result!

Reverence for the Truth and Character Integrity

July 17, 2026Abuse, Character Matters, Empowerment, Integrity, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Manipulators, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Relationships, Social Issues, Spiritualitycharacter, culture, deceit, disturbed characters, empowerment, integrity, maniplation, manipulators, reverence, tactics, truthDr. Simon

Reverence for the truth is crucial to integrity of character.

Finding a Partner with a Healthy Self-Image

June 25, 2026Character Matters, Entitlement, impression management, Intimacy, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Manipulators, Mental Health, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Relationships, Self-Esteem, Social Issues, Spiritualitycharacter disturbance, egoism, entitlement, healthy self-image, narcissism, relationships, self-indulgence, wholesome characterDr. Simon

Developing a healthy self-image is a formidable task made even more challenging in a culture that encourages and rewards narcissism.

Discerning Character Requires Certain Skills

May 28, 2026Abuse, Character Matters, conscience, Empowerment, gaslighting, impression management, Integrity, Intimacy, Love, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Manipulators, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Psychological Manipulation, Relationships, Self-Esteem, Social Issues, Spiritualityabuse, character, healthy shame, metanoia, narcissism, predatory behavior, shame, toxic shameDr. Simon

Discerning decency of character in our times is a challenge. With all manner of character dysfuntion “normalized,” we’ve largely become desensitized, even to the most egregious forms.

Narcissistic Pomposity and Pretense

May 20, 2026Abuse, Empowerment, Entitlement, impression management, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Manipulators, Mental Health, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Psychopathy and Sociopathy, Relationships, Social Issuescharacter disordered, exploitation, grandiose, impression management, narcissism, Narcissists, pomposity, pretenseDr. Simon

Pomposity and pretense are common in narcissists. Sometimes, it’s an act. But it can also reflect grandiose, nearly delusional beliefs.

Narcissistic Rages and Their Forms and Causes

February 27, 2026Abuse, Aggression, Character Matters, Empowerment, Entitlement, gaslighting, Integrity, Manipulation, Manipulators, Narcissism, Neurotics, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Relationships, Social Issuesdominance, grandiose, manipulation tactic, narcissism, narcissist, rage, superior, tactical, thin-skinnedDr. Simon

Narcissistic rages are common in abusive relationships. But characterizing every rager as “thin-skinned” is a potentially fatal mistake.

Narcissists Exaggerate Just About Everything

February 9, 2026Abuse, Character Matters, Covert-Aggression, gaslighting, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Relationships, Social Issuesattention, deference, enabling, exaggerate, gaslighting, higher power, image, narcissistic behavior, Narcissists, truthDr. Simon

Narcissists exaggerate to advance their image-promoting agendas. Tolerating or enabling this behavior harms everyone, even the narcissist.

Impression Management Skill and Gaslighting

December 9, 2025Character Matters, Covert-Aggression, gaslighting, impression management, Integrity, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Manipulators, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Relationships, Social Issuesbeing good, covert characters, gaslighting, genuine love, impression management, looking good, seductionDr. Simon

Impression management skill and gaslighting often go hand-in-hand. When others don’t see your nemesis the same way you have come to see them, it can make you feel crazy, which is what the gaslighting effect is all about.

Bad Character Involvements Always End Badly

August 28, 2025Abuse, Character Matters, Integrity, Manipulation, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychology, Relationships, Social Issuesbad character, character dysfunction, covert characters, desensitized, manipulativeDr. Simon

Folks of bad character are everywhere these days. And folks of absolutely horrendous character are increasing in numbers, too. Sadly, society seems to be all too accepting of the fact. Worse, many are looking the other way – even sanctioning, rewarding, aligning with, and handing power to such folks. History shows that doing any of these things always ends badly, and sometimes disastrously so.