Dewy McGill on Nostr: There's a whole part of the internet where women teach other women to become master ...

There's a whole part of the internet where women teach other women to become master manipulators in order to extract resources from vulnerable men. Forget love, get that money girlfriend!

I'm seeing my boy go through it right now - he's in a dark place and won't accept help.

Fuck it. If I can't help him, maybe I can help someone else. Here's 5 signs you're dealing with a manipulative woman.

1. Power Dynamics

She showers you with compliments and builds up your confidence in the early stages of dating, but then unexpectedly pulls back emotionally or physically. This tends to happen in cycles (building you up and tearing you down).

This is a classic use of power dynamics to manoeuvre you into chasing her approval and giving more in the relationship.

Another is to isolate you from friends and family. You become more reliant on her and therefore can't afford to lose her.

2. Targeting your vulnerabilities

She is great at identifying and exploiting your weaknesses. For slightly older men (35+), this might include:

- Playing on desperation: she sees all your friends are married with kids and that you're eager to settle down with a family. She offers you hope of that, only to take that hope away when it suits her interests.

- Exploiting Low Confidence: Older men, especially those inexperienced with women, might feel inadequate in some way. A manipulator uses this to make you pliable or eager to please, especially if you feel a sense that this is your last chance at love or companionship.

- Strategic Criticism: Interspersed with moments of validation comes deep criticism (particularly when connected to your insecurities). This makes you constantly work for her approval.

3. Gendered Tactics

She might leverage traditional gender roles to gain the upper hand. In particular, one of man's key instincts is to protect and provide. The manipulator might fabricate vulnerabilities (e.g. social anxiety around your friends/family) or crises to elicit your need to help and support. You then offer more resources— usually money, but also time and energy..

4. Financial and Emotional Extraction

- Guilt Tripping: She makes you feel like you're not doing enough, even when you're overextending yourself (financially and emotionally). You then give more.

- Crisis Creation: As with the drive to protect, some manipulators create constant drama or crises (health issues, financial problems, emotional breakdowns) to keep you engaged.

5. Avoiding Accountability

If you call out her behaviour she avoids responsibility for the fallout of her manipulative actions. She will fight to control the narrative and seek to avoid any blame for any emotional or relational damage done.

In short, some women will leverage psychological tactics to maintain control, take advantage of vulnerabilities, and extract resources from their targets, especially men who might be more susceptible due to age, loneliness, or a lack of confidence with women.

It's your job as a man to be alert to this and avoid these women.