Page 112 - How To Analyze People: 13 Laws About the Manipulation of the Human Mind, 7 Strategies to Quickly Figure Out Body Language, Dive into Dark Psychology and Persuasion for Making People Do What You Want

what you’re now about to do to a manipulator. Not to invalidate the

conversation with the intent to emotionally abuse them, but to invalidate the

conversation so they have no power over you.

Let’s get some clarity over what the term “invalidate” here means.

Whenever you invalidate a person, what you’re doing is basically making

them feel like you either don’t understand them and their feelings or that
you do understand them and you’re simply choosing not to care anyway.

Exactly the same kind of tactics a manipulator tries to use on you.

Invalidating a conversation can happen in several subtle ways, which

include:

Being Controlling - Manipulators who use controlling
invalidation are the ones who are confident (very confident in
fact) that theirs is the right way to do things, and they will have

no problems butting in, trying to intervene and get others to see
the “error of their ways”. They might even tell you outright that
this is how things should be done (according to their way of

course), and controlling invalidation can be seen in several
everyday scenarios, parenting included. Here’s what controlling
invalidation might look like:

Manipulator: That’s NOT how you do it because I’ve told you it is

wrong. My way is the best way to solve the problem.

How to invalidate them: I respect that, but I’m confident my solution
is going to work just as well, so I’m going to go ahead with it

anyway.