Can you manipuate people?

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I guess in america it is very much anti the group/society/state helping others in a collective and more about self-help, self-advocacy, self-dicipline. Basically a society that builds its moral values on the attainment of the individual overcoming odds to achieve success through hard work. Not requiring the help of others to reach the level of success they have achieved.

It's some what of a counter productive culture considering most of the worlds cultures don't operate that way and it contradicts our nature as we are evolved from social animals. Social creatures must to some degree show altruism towards other members of the group or the entire collective simply degenerates into a dog eat dog fight with no long term future for the winner.

Talis wrote:

Well, anyone can try to manipulate in the simple sense. Of course, even little kids can be manipulative.

I was thinking in terms of being artfully devious. I was thinking more along the lines of a chess game in a group of people or organization. That's what's really hard for me to understand the thought process of (possibly because I'm just in my head most of the time). I just generally want people to leave me alone. I don't care about climbing any ladders, drama, or getting people fired to move ahead.

That's what I was thinking when I thought manipulation.

The only positive sense of the word manipulate that I've personally heard is in regards to good hand and eye skills with objects.

This is from my American Heritage Dictionary.
Manipulate:
1. To operate or control by skilled use of the hands; handle.
2. Influence or manage shrewdly or deviously
3. To tamper with or falsify

I once saw on tv this guy who was called a "mentalist" and he claimed to have this skill to be able to use words and probably body language in such a way as to get his way or a desired response from others. That was weird. It seemed to work, on tv.

Jediscraps said:

Given a competition between a rock and me on which would be better at manipulating anything, I'd bet on the rock.

I've learnt to spot some of it, though I'm unsure if I'm correct or not; I tend to be a little broad with the brush due to not knowing exactly.

I'm pretty sure being deceitful isn't some kind of special talent that we Aspies are incapable of exhibiting - it's just that most of us realize that being false harms ourselves just as much as the person we are deceiving. One squandered, a feeling of self-worth can be difficult to re-obtain.

i'm an intentionally WYSIWYG person, but i also don't think i would be too good at it. one of my sisters used to manipulate me to do things for her, and it would crush me how cold and mean she really was, and how little she really cared about my feelings (she has bipolar disorder, though it was not diagnosed until recently).

Though it is more commonly used that way, "manipulate" isn't an inherently negative word/action. If your loved one is sad and you want them to feel better, so you give them a hug, that is manipulating them into feeling better. At least, this is how I see it.

With this definition in mind: I don't think I am very good at manipulating people. I try sometimes, because I want them to be more positive and less lonely, but I'm not sure that I'm very successful at it.