People do not want you to be there because of their own insecurity. Instead of addressing it honestly, they say things that make you uncomfortable or use strategies to keep you away. In these situations, protecting yourself from harm is important. But that does not always mean quitting your job or leaving a relationship. When you walk away simply because you are pushed, their strategies succeed. What matters is staying focused on what truly matters to you.
I have witnessed a situation where a woman deliberately said upsetting things to her partner’s child from his previous marriage. Over time, the child expressed that she did not want to be around her father anymore. The father believed his child no longer wanted him. What he did not realise was that his current partner had been speaking negatively to the child whenever he was not present. He was blindsided and confused, unable to understand why the relationship had changed. His partner’s actions were driven by insecurity. She felt threatened by the presence of a child from a past marriage and tried to control the situation to protect the version of marriage she wanted.
Unfortunately, some people believe manipulation is necessary to survive or secure what they have. However, truth remains truth. No matter how much someone tries to push you away to protect their own position, honesty still matters. If you begin playing the same games, you will slowly lose your grounding. Manipulation does not protect you. It harms you. The healthiest response is to tell the truth with a calm and firm attitude and to refuse to be manipulated. People who rely on lies and manipulation eventually experience bitterness within themselves. Even if the consequences are not immediately visible, the principle remains the same. Over time, manipulation erodes trust and destroys relationships of every kind.
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About the author
I’m Chi Chi Wang, helping people who struggle with body image build confidence and live with purpose.
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