The recurring theme this past week or so has been manipulation, so yeah, let's go with that.
I am 100% guilty of manipulating people, but it's strictly to a verbal extent. I've come to the realization that I'm rather skilled at twisting words, especially the words of others, to work to my advantage. That's probably a bad thing, but in a sense, I'm cool with that. It's not that I'm any more intelligent or cunning than the next guy. I can just read people.
You know that feeling you get when you suspect someone of something, but you have no evidence to back it up? I have those feelings on a daily basis. And 9 times out of 10? I'm right on the money.
A few people call me a mind reader. I prefer to refer to it as "advanced probability," which is fancy psychology speak for, "I'm just lucky."
A few people call me a mind reader. I prefer to refer to it as "advanced probability," which is fancy psychology speak for, "I'm just lucky."
Don't mistake me for the kind of person that goes around manipulating with some self-serving motivation, leaving behind an aftermath of confused, disoriented victims and a newly acquired position of power. I've dealt with that rare breed of "human" before, recently in fact, and I can assure you, my DNA could NEVER be coded in a structure containing that magnitude of evil.
I'm no puppetmaster, hiding among the rafters shrouded in darkness. I don't delight in every swift tug of the strings and every forced motion of my current marionette, knowing that ultimately once they have served their purpose, I will cast them aside along with the other firewood. I've come into contact with people just like that though, people who watch each painted face go up in flames.
Without a single regret.
I construct this metaphor only to warn you. From a guy who's been on both sides of the fence, consider this: Who's really in control?
