what types are easiest or hardest to manipulate?
Long and seriously edgy answer, so bear with me:
To begin: how do we define manipulation? The common definition is “influencing another person to do something”. But then asinine things like telling a joke (to elicit laughter) could be counted as manipulative. So for purposes of this answer my definition will be as follows:
Manipulation: influencing another person to do an action for ones self benefit and no regard to the beneficial effects on the other person, usually subversive, negative or sly in nature.
With that said: it… depends. There are strategies for manipulating everyone.
So the answer is: the hardest to manipulate would be a 1, 5 or 8 sp dom low Fi user. The easiest to manipulate would be a 2, 3, or 6 high fe sp blind. Most people fall somewhere in the middle of that scale. Let me explain:
Fi is naturally insulated against being manipulated due to main manipulation tactics being fe based. You know… guilt tripping about how it will affect other people? Most Fi users are purposefully or accidentally oblivious to these tactics, unless their Fi values other people (discussed in variants below). TLDR of that is: it’s possible to use Fi’s sx or so values to manipulate it, but generic fe “HOW WHILST THE OTHERS FEEL/REACT” cognitive strategies are mostly useless on their own. You can, however, use the values of an Fi user against them— they tend to dislike hypocrisy and have a harder time seeing nuance in moral situations. Pointing out their hypocrisy is a great way to either get them to adjust their values, or adjust their behaviour. Origin point of judgement is the self, after all. They don’t want to go against their own subjective values.
Most fe users respond to typical manipulation tactics, though the response may not be the best. The higher the Fe, the more likely it is that it will work. Fe thinks in terms of others, right? That’s how Fe cognition works. Origin point of judgement is others. Others will 100% be factored into the behaviour of an Fe user, though this can be notably negative (like tert fe’s using other people’s problems and flaws against them for Funny Points or inf fe’s tendency to do that for More Logic Than Thou points or high fe using people, period). But when trying to manipulate an fe user, even if it doesn’t work, they WILL REALIZE what you’re doing (at least eventually if not immediately), and react accordingly, where Fi does not react accordingly— it acts on its own. The flash of realization in the eyes of an Fe user can be seen regardless of whether or not what you’re doing works. With Fi users? Decent chance it goes in one ear and out the other (enneagram provides nuance to this, discussed below). Fe users are just naturally attuned to both thinking this way, and paying attention to and sifting through information this way (F functions being judging functions). Fe can and will go against its own moral evaluations for the sake of others— and not always for reasons beneficial or selfless. an Fe user could make a “negative exception” and treat someone horribly with absolutely zero cognitive dissonance, where Fi users will experience at least some discomfort/cognitive dissonance. This is where fe users being “actors”, “fake”, “two faced”, “hypocrites”, etc comes from. Nothing is truly sacred… that’s why Fe doms are as threatening to people as they tend to be. They’re the definition of two faced, manipulative and unreliable. I say this with the utmost affection though— I love them, and they have a lot of positive traits too/I don’t personally see this behaviour as inherently bad (probably because I also have fe).
Enneagram time! Types naturally insulated against manipulation: 1, 8, 5, 7Types naturally vulnerable to it: heart triad, 9, 6
Ones: have such a set in steel value system that they often just aren’t hypocritical. Even the Fe doms are predictable and reliable (unless their 1 doesn’t value that, which is possible. Some ones value some stereotypically “evil” stuff tbh). It’s hard to use the values of a 1 against them because they are THAT well thought through. Ones are hyper critical of themselves enough, you can’t really say anything to a one that they haven’t thought of themselves already. The only way to manipulate a one is to try to pick at their conception of perfection, but for ones “perfection” is usually dependent on other factors(fe vs Fi, variants, tritype) that it honestly is just not worth trying to manipulate them for the most part. Avoid.
Twos and threes: I don’t really need to explain this, do I? Both are naturally people pleasing for different reasons, and the ways to manipulate both are obvious. They’re both pretty manipulative themselves, too. Behaviour is similar in this regard. Expect with complete certainty that, especially if they have fe, they’re manipulating you as much as you are them. Sorry twos and threes, but it’s the truth.
Fours: also inclined to vulnerability, but not for people reasons. For “the self” reasons. There emotionally sensitive, and playing on their weaknesses is a simple strategy. Sp 4 is notably harder, use their aux variant or just don’t bother. Or just accuse them of being shallow or ingenuine.
Fives and sevens: too withdrawn or busy to generally bother with. Usually not even worthwhile to attempt imo. Maybe drawing on the fives fear of incompetency? But even then, getting them to adjust to competency threats in a way that gets them to do something is almost as difficult as ennea 1. And sevens are… sevens.
Sixes: p and cp, using their anxieties and fears is either going to work or get you punched. It’s almost a roulette as to whether or not you’ll be effective.
Eights are a special case. No type is the most insulated against, yet simultaneously prone to, manipulation. Most if not all typical tactics are things eights are immune to, and low F eights? Especially EXTJ sp dom eights? Fucking forget it, dude. With one exception, of course. It’s the little known makes-sense-if-you-think-about-it thing: using their anger against them, or to further whatever it is you want. It’s very, very easy to piss off an eight. Sometimes nothing will come of it, sometimes you’ll get the results you want and then some. Just don’t try to control them, actively or subtly. Ever. Pick at their anger. Provoke them. If you need an eight angry for some reason, you’ve got your easiest target. Otherwise? No chance in hell. Oh, and if you do this? They’ll realize it eventually and you better move to another continent, pronto.
Nines: again, obvious reasons here. Easy to get them to do things to keep themselves and others on the same… vibration, so to speak.
As for variants, they’re more or less ways to get to someone. Sp doms are hardest to “get to”, since they still above all value the self. You can only really get to them materially or through their cognitive functions rather than trying to use others against them. Sx and so are value sets and strategies to use with those types, respectively. Don’t try to manipulate an sxsp by using their reputation, don’t try to influence an sosp using the myriad ways their connections to others function. Use your brain.
But now we must look cohesively. Would an sosp 3 infp be easier or harder to influence than a sxsp infj 2? An istj 8 spsx or an entj 1 sxsp? That’s up to each person to determine, and it’s possible to manipulate everyone using strategies above. It’s just easier with some types than others.
So that’s my answer. It’s really sort of a complex set of “how do these things work together” thing.
vaporwave
yousharknotpass
germansingergirl
kaledo-art
2087
areudirty
dededos
titsay
