You might be wondering what the point of this article is. If you are aware of the mind games men play, and you know that you are the one who is being played, then it is naturally best to stay away from these men and move on with your life, right? However, sometimes, things aren’t as simple as they appear. If it is someone that you honestly care about, then you would want to do something about this situation.
People have been playing mind games on each other since the dawn of time. Even though women are stereotypically accused of playing mind games and manipulating situations to their benefit, men are guilty of doing the same in equal measure. Whether you are married, in a relationship, or casually flirting with someone, men have a tendency to play mind games if they put their mind to it. It is a way to emotionally manipulate a woman to get their end, and it is something that no one should tolerate.
Suggested read: Inside The Mind Of A Victim: 8 Steps In Which Emotional Abuse Plays Out
It is important to understand that kind of mind games men play, and what you can do to deal with them. It is easy to get carried away, or get angry or impatient or seek revenge by doing the same to them, but you have to be very careful if you want to preserve your relationship and your sanity during the process of dealing with this. Here are a few examples, with their possible solutions.
1. He doesn’t text you back
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
This is one of the most common ways in which men play mind games with women. They stop texting you randomly, and they fall off the face of the planet, without any prior explanation as to why they have decided to disappear. They don’t text you, they don’t interact with you in any way on other social media and they don’t seem to reply when you text them.
It is impossible to ppinpoint the cause for this because it is different for different people. However, if something like this happens, you should try getting in touch with them to understand why they stopped texting you, and if they don’t reply after a week or so, you should move on. They might be seeing other girls, they might not be interested you, they might have played with your feelings for the thrill of the chase. However, there is no point dwelling on these harsh realizations.
2. He guilt-trips you
Image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License
Here is another awful example of how men play mind games on women to get what they want. They understand that women are inherently compassionate, and they use this against them to get what they want. Most of the time, people, men and women alike, play mind games because they want something of their own. To get this, they guilt trip you and blame you and make it seem as though you are at fault for denying them something.
When you are being guilt-tripped by your man, no matter how much you love him, ask him whether you are actually at fault here. Make sure you are thinking straight and have understood the situation completely before you decide to give in to the situation. In this case, it is important to think logically and not fall into the mind games that he is trying to play with you.
3. He makes false promises
Image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License
People require emotional stability, which is a need that men sometimes tend to exploit by playing mind games with women. They make false promises such as promising to stay forever, promising to see you through the good times and the bad times, promising to “change”, promising “this will never happen again”, promising you emotional and physical support when you require it, etc. If they are truly dedicated to you, then they will see these promises through, however, if they are bent on playing mind games, then you might find yourself feeling lost, lonely, abandoned, etc. because they don’t actually follow through.
After promising you things, if they are making you feel like an emotional burden, then they are definitely playing mind games with you. In this case, you need to talk everything out candidly. You need to know yourself, and understand when to get attached, and how attached you should get, in order to depend on a man for this kind of emotional support.
Suggested read: The Complete Guide On How To Fix Trust Issues In A Relationship
4. He is very sweet one day and very distant the next
Image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License
Everyone has mood swings. However, if you see your man acting very sweet with you one day and then talking to you as if they are being held at gun-point to have this conversation with you, then you can’t qualify that as mood swings. Sometimes men tend to behave this way to see what a woman really feels about them. However, this much is certain that this is the worst way to find out someone’s feelings about you.
If he is holding your hand and kissing you sweetly today and then not replying to your messages the next, talk to him. Set up a face to face meeting and ask him candidly whether there is something going on with him, or if there is something bothering him. This will give you insight into his mind as well, and prevent these mind games from giving you anxiety and insomnia.
5. He is only nice to you when he wants something
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
Have you noticed that all his compliments, all his sweet gestures, all his niceties are followed by some sort of demand or the other, no matter how small or big? This is a sure shot sign that he is playing mind games with you. This not only makes you feel insecure but also plays with your emotions. This is also a form of exploitation, which you should indulge in at any cost. The solution to this is rather simple, don’t give in.
If you have been noticing a trend where he is behaving in a way where you are being taken advantage of, then don’t give in to what he demands at the end of his performance. Did you get taken aback by that word? It is indeed a performance, to get something that ultimately benefits him.
6. He compares you to other people
Image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License
This is possibly one of the worst kinds of mind game that men play on women. They tend to pick out their insecurities and keep imposing them again and again, in order to break down a woman’s self-esteem and make her feel inferior. They also do this by comparing her to other women. This way, you constantly feel like you are not good enough or you don’t have enough remarkable individual qualities to make you special.
Men might do this because of a strange sense of superiority so that they feel like they are always better than their counterparts. They might also do this to ensure that you don’t have the confidence to break away or leave if things get bad to worse. Your role here is to not succumb to these accusations. When he starts comparing you to other women, take a stand. Either put your foot down and tell them to stop doing it or you simply walk away.
7. He waits for you to text first
Image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License
Meeting in person is now a whole different deal altogether because people don’t have time for meeting every day, and most of the time, they don’t live close by. Texting is the new way of communicating, and it is a platform on which relationships are made and broken. If you are the one who is constantly texting him first, then it is telling of the way he feels and thinks. It definitely qualifies as a mind game that men play, in order to feel wanted and in order to make you feel like you are constantly chasing them.
Suggested read: 12 Tips On How To Cope With Abandonment Issues In Relationships
To be honest, you don’t need that kind of bullsh*t in your life. If he really wants to talk to you, wait for him to text you. If it’s been weeks and he hasn’t texted you, then there is no point wasting time with him. If you care about him, you can talk about it with him, but otherwise, it is really not worth the effort.
There are various other kinds of mind games men play on women in order to make them feel insecure, to boost their own ego, for sex, for validation and a variety of other reasons. As a woman, it is your responsibility to recognize these mind games, and not fall victim to them. You have to stand your ground, and either confront him about any latent issues that he might be suffering from, or leave him altogether, because sis, you better than that.
Featured image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License
Facebook
Disqus
Google + 
