Trust & Manipulation

I struggle with a concept, this thought on trust. When is

it fair, ever fair, to manipulate? If it’s in his best interest,

determined by self, one ought to manipulate him. If it

makes her a better person, proven by results, than one is

justified. Such a process is deemed as warranted, evinced

in an outcome, even a thank you. The question becomes:

Is the goal purely in his or her favor? For instance, if

the task is to clear trauma, should one also make him

attentive? Or if the goal is to awake her to pain, should

one also make her dependent? More important, should

the one undergoing the process be informed; for if not,

there is great room for error, even whiplash. Adults

manipulate all the time: a husband isn’t caring enough;

a wife rarely has time; a son needs acclamation; a daughter

is sent to prep school. We venture to believe in some forms

of manipulation, while other forms dig into our thoughts.

I’ve asked with reason. Some arts of manipulation stir

anger. If anger is a factor, it should be monitored. Thus,

the one undergoing manipulation should be informed. It’s

similar to working with a trauma victim. One should not

stir up painful emotions without informing the survivor

that he or she may experience some difficulties while

going through this process. However, if a wife wants for

her husband to cook more often, she may just say, “It

would be nice if I didn’t have to cook all the time.”